Matching Curtains

Alessi's Ark - Notes from the Treehouse

Last year Laura Marling was the young lady on everyone's lips, and this year 18 year old Alessi Laurent-Marke is set to make similar waves. In fact, she already has - her very pretty Myspace page kickstarted her charm offensive and since then the blogosphere has been awash with plaudits for her. Of course they all begin by comparing her to Laura Marling (as I'm also guilty of doing!), but the girls' precocious talents for winsome folk music are probably the only thing which really connects them. Alessi's Ark's style is much less solemn than Marling's; her lyrics are more like grown up nursery rhymes than serious poetry, preoccupied with 'telescope eyes' and the night skies and comparing freckles to constellations. In short, listening her debut album 'Notes from the Treehouse' is good fun. Released earlier this month, I recommend you get hold of a copy. If my words fail to move you, then consider the fact that Alessi has worked with Bright Eyes - now that should convince you to check her out! Highlights include the ornate strings on 'Memory Box', dainty track 'The Horse' and enchanting 'Asteroid's Collide'.

Alessi's style reminds me a lot of Angus & Julia Stone, both visually and musically. Judging from her look and vocal tics, she also clearly loves Joanna Newsom (who doesn't?). But Alessi doesn't ape what has been described to me as Newsom's Lisa Simpson rasp, and this may enable her to win over the mainstream much more easily than her American contemporary. Whether we want her to is another matter. For now, I want to share her with you as a soon to be not so secret secret. Check out the beautiful video for 'The Horse' below:

Chéri

Yet another literary adaptation has hit the big screen, this time courtesy of Stephen Frears' version of a Colette novel (you'll know Frears' name as he directed Dirty Pretty Things, High Fidelity and - rather less randomly - Dangerous Liaisons). Set in Paris, the story is about Chéri (the divinely good looking Rupert Friend), son of aging courtesan Madame Peloux (a bossy and bolshy Kathy Bates, in fine comedic form) who finds love in the arms of the beautiful Lea (Michelle Pfeiffer), herself a contemporary of his mother's whose age mitigates against the survival of their love.

The arch narration and witticisms which kick start the movie suggested it would be a droll take on the Belle Epoque era - a French Oscar Wilde if you will. Although I've been meaning to read Colette for a while now, I've still not got round to it, so had very little in the way of expectations beyond this. I was therefore surprised at the movie's rather melancholy tone. For all it's decadent settings, fabulous Art Nouveau furnishings (I loved Lea's bed) and sumptuous costumes, there was a sense of tragedy threatening to disrupt the fine balance of sex and style which Frears seemed to want to showcase. At the heart of the story is a sense of unfairness that Chéri and Lea's intergenerational affair will not survive, a sadness that neither of them will be happy without the other. There are some interesting contrasts between the elegant Lea and her gaudy looking, wrinkly peers, which through Pfeiffer's subtle performance evince a sense of the fear of aging as it specifically applies to women. Friend  looks suitably raffish and ravaged (but still pretty, I hasten to add) as the debauched Chéri, unable to survive without Lea as his sensual - and in some respects, moral - compass. The pair had a lot of chemistry and their love scenes were suggestive without being tacky; both are obviously extremely easy on the eye, which helps! But it was the clothes which had me at hello: Pfeiffer's willowy physique makes a more than adequate frame for the exquisite couture draped across it and she acquits herself well as an enticing femme fatale (even if at times she seems to mother her man a wee bit too much). And the millinery ... well, I was in heaven. Everything looked so beautiful on Pfeiffer and she herself was as stunning as ever, so it was hard to believe in the tragedy of her character's apparently fading looks.

In spite of all this visual splendour and two fine central performances, something more essential seemed missing: personality. We don't ever feel we know Chéri or Lea, which makes it hard to empathise with either; aside from their mutual passion there's nothing to make either character distinctive. All we are left with then, is a stylish production with a vaguely gloomy mood which jars with the comedy provided by Madame Peloux and her cronies and leaves us floundering. Whilst the movie is fairly engaging, our interest is retained by its many visual flourishes rather than anything more nuanced; it is neither witty or tragic enough to be either of the two things Frears seems to be aiming for: a decent satire or a classic love story.

Lisa Hannigan

I've been listening to Lisa Hannigan a lot lately; she's an Irish singer-songwriter whose voice you might remember from Damian Rice's recordings. Well, she's gone solo after she was told Rice no longer needed her (nice), but his loss is our gain as her album Sea Sew is really very charming. The album has a lovely tactile looking cover and showcases a relaxed folk style complete with harmoniums and Lisa's delightfully crackly vocal delivery. Her lyrics are both sweet and sensitive; the title track includes a line about a man who is 'like the wine on the weekend', which I particularly liked.

Check out her recent performance on Jools Holland - doesn't she look like she's having a ball?!

Camera Obscura - My Maudlin Career

I'd always considered Camera Obscura to be something of a tesco-value version of Belle and Sebastian. What folly. With this, their fourth album, they prove naysayers like me wrong. Yes they are twee, twinkly indie pop full of whimsy and wistfulness, with value added literariness, so comparisons to Stuart Murdoch and his band are inevitable. And that's before we get to the fact that both bands hail from bonny Scotland. The first indication that I was wrong came at last year's Truck Festival, where the band put on a fabulous show in a mid-afternoon slot which showed they were not just a pale imitation of every indie geek's favourite set of loners. The second is in the form of My Maudlin Career, an album which I think is simply perfect, seeing the band slide out from under the shadow of B&S with real grace and sparkle.

Accessible, full of tunes and violin flurries (a touch I always like in indie tracks, makes me wish I hadn't been so quick to dump playing the fiddle), this is an album I've found hard not to listen to on repeat. Singer and writer Tracyanne Campbell has one of the sweetest, most yearning voices you'll hear this year, a voice made to sing about love and loss. On this album, the band manage to lift you up even as the jingly jangly music provides a backdrop to real heartbreak. Standout tracks are 'You Told a Lie', which starts with the pretty couplet 'If you were a season, you would be in bloom/I wish I had good reason to see you soon' or title track, which berates those who 'say I'm too kind and sentimental, like you could catch affection' and goes on to mourn a lover's sadness. It's not all gloom though; final track 'Honey in the Sun' is a triumph of trumpets which will go down perfectly at festivals this summer and serves as the culmination of the energy riven throughout the album.

Late bloomers though they may be, you should still check out Camera Obscura. You won't be disappointed. By way of a taster, check out this album's opening track 'French Navy':

Jarvis Cocker - Further Complications

As earlier celebrated on Matching Curtains, my All Time Hero Mr Jarvis Cocker has a new album out on 18 May, entitled 'Further Complications' (rather incongruously produced by Steve Albini of Nirvana fame). I was lucky enough to receive an advance copy (thankyouthankyouthankyou) and straight away appreciated the glossy cover art which sees a louche looking, bearded Jarvis flopped across the front leaf in another of this year's great album covers (Bat for Lashes still claims the prize at the moment though). Although the album's meat and two veg garage rock was a bit of a shock after the Scott Walker influenced lushness of 'Jarvis', which I adored, the spiky sound signals that though he may be getting older (a preoccupation on many of the tracks), Jarvis has lost none of his energy or (ahem) lustiness.

The lyrics are marked with the same honesty, intelligence and humour that we've come to associate with the working class equivalent to Stephen Fry, complete with added lasciviousness.* Yup, Jarv is as obsessed with bumping uglies as he's always been:'Leftovers' offers wry reflections on middle-aged amourousness and single 'Angela' euphemistically refers to the 'sap rising tonight' as he pervs on a twentysomething. Yes, being a dirty old man kind of suits him. Jarvis has influenced some of our most talented young lyricists - from Alex Turner to Lily Allen to the now sadly defunct indie glamsters the Long Blondes - and still gives them a run for their money on this offering. On 'Caucasian Blues' he gives us a nice line in bathos and even on the more chugging tracks, his lyrical dexterity offsets the fairly standard musical format. I also couldn't help but wonder if some of the more personal tracks were ruminations on the recent end of his marriage.

I must admit that on a few tracks, such as 'Homewrecker' and 'Fuckingsong', I struggled to hear Jarvis' yelps over the fuzzy bass and overall thrashiness - never a good thing. I was relieved to alight on the final track's smoother disco pulse, which reminded me of early Pulp and despite what some critics have said, I actually think is pretty entertaining. I was so excited to hear this album and hear that Jarvis is continuing to prove such an artistic force, but although I revelled in sheer 'Jarvis Joy', it I suspect that its abrasive sound lacks the mass appeal of it's predecessor. I can't wait to see the tracks performed live as I suspect their energy will really suit a live setting, but in the meantime, in spite of its grunginess, expect this LP to be on permanent play on the old iPod. Not a classic like Jarvis' first solo album, but as the man himself says, 'It's a complicated boogie and I don't know any better baby'.

*Incidentally, a recent pub conversation put forward the frankly amazing idea of Messers Fry and Cocker as King and PM of England respectively. I am excited at the mere idea. Let's start a petition now!

Sugar Lumps - all new Flight of the Conchords!

The second season of Flight of Conchords is with us and two episodes in, Jermaine and Bret have already given us another bizarre classic. Check it out:

Kind of takes the piss out of Justin Timberlake/Timbaland type stuff eh? Genius. And don't the boys look as good as ever?!

Synecdoche, New York

Where to start …? Suffice to say we all know that a Charlie Kaufman movie is going to be as bonkers as it is clever. I can’t even really attempt to analyse it in any meaningful sense, as one viewing of Synecdoche, New York is not equal to the wealth of symbolism and play it contains. Psychologists, deconstructionists and general film geeks alike will all find something to wax lyrical about in this movie. But as we all know, just because a movie is ambitious and intellectually challenging doesn’t necessarily make it any good. In this case I am relieved to say Synecdoche is an impressive achievement, which completely engrosses you and takes you into another world. That the world is that of Kaufman’s head means it might hurt at times, but hey there’s nothing wrong with a bit of mental aerobics now and then is there?! It sure beats watching Jason Statham try and emulate Bruce Willis any day of the week.

I suppose you’ll be wanting a synopsis. Eek. To say that this is a film about the fictional Caden Cotard (Philip Seymour Hoffman), a theatre director who creates a magnum opus based on his very own existence, which rapidly takes over his life as he becomes more and more obsessed with it, is far too simplistic and reductive. This Russian doll of a movie has all the hallmarks we’ve come to expect from Kaufman: postmodernism, blurring of the real and the artificial, self-reflective tangents, doubling, screwed up central characters and a net result of a heckuvalotta bafflement in the minds of the audience. Unlike his previous projects Adaptation and Eternal Sunshine, Synecdoche is bleaker and perhaps even more cerebral than anything he has done before. Is the movie a meditation on what it is to be an artist? Is its metatheatrical style saying something fundamental about the process of creating? Are we watching a dream? Or is the movie a treatise on the human condition (after all, we watch Caden grow older and more feeble as he makes his inevitable approach towards death)? Is any of this even happening for real?!

 

Maddening, eh? There are so many ideas and visual tricks employed in this movie that it threatens to overwhelm us with its cacophony of ideas. It’s therefore left to key player and reliable character actor Hoffman to add the emotive pull, which - it’s no surprise - he does very well indeed. Although his character is typical of male New York movie archetypes, a hypochondriac, self-obsessed guy unable to make a relationship work, he’s less annoying than some of the characters previously crafted by Kaufman (maybe by virtue of not being either Nick Cage or Jim Carrey – although both acquitted themselves well in Kaufman’s aforementioned movies). Whereas previous Kaufman protagonists can seem almost revoltingly needy, Caden doesn’t. Whereas he is also searching for something/someone to fulfil him, he comes across as less of a wet blanket and more a tragically flawed Everyman. The fact that the wonderful Dianne Weist’s character Ellen takes over the ‘role’ of Caden as he nears death encapsulates this everyman quality perfectly – he stands for us all. This strange shift also reinforces the notion of the fluidity of the self. But I’m just speculating as this is possibly the easiest idea to grasp in this labyrinthine movie.

 

As dreamy as it is sprawling and incomprehensible, film critics will have a field day. I found making sense of the movie rather daunting and as you can tell, didn’t really get anywhere. It defies description and comment in some ways – maybe it’s all an elaborate joke at the expense of folk like me?! The only thing I can say for certain about the movie is that its cast’s strong and accessible performances are a lifeboat for the audience. Old hands like Hoffman and Wiest give moving turns as different facets of Caden’s psyche and we are treated to wonderfully likeable performances from Samantha Morton as Hazel, a sexy box office administrator; the luminous Michelle Williams as a young actress; and a cheeky Emily Watson playing another version of Hazel (this will make sense). The sets are also amazing, from Hazel’s beautiful but inexplicably burning house to the grandiose and to scale New York set Caden builds as a stage. I am sure there are echoes and all sorts of hidden meanings that a second viewing would reveal, but for now I will just say the movie is a chimeric masterpiece with a cast who rescue us from being suffocated by the fecundity of Kaufman’s imagination. Or translated, save the movie from disappearing up its own beautifully fashioned arse.

Waitress - DVD review

Waitress stars Keri Russell as Jenna, a waitress living in a dead-end town in deep south America who gets pregnant by her abusive husband, Earl (Jeremy Sisto, of Six Feet Under fame). Her emotions are expressed through the amazing pies she makes, all of which have names drawing directly on her experience, such as the snappily named 'Earl Murders Me Because I'm Having An Affair Pie... You smash blackberries and raspberries into a chocolate crust.' The pregnancy is something Jenna is ambivalent about, as she is desperate to leave her overbearing husband and the baby threatens to throw a spanner in the works of her escape plan. Throw an affair with her doctor (Nathan Fillion, who also played a gynaecologist in Desperate Housewives, what a weird acting niche to have found) in the mix and you have the foundations of a very quirky and bittersweet comedy.

The movie is suffused with poignancy given that its writer and director Adrienne Shelly was killed before it was released, leaving behind a young child and husband. The closing scene in particular, featuring Shelly's little girl, is a really emotional moment. The love Jenna feels for her newborn baby, after months of pregnant confusion, is conveyed tenderly by Russell and made me cry buckets. Shelly herself gives a winning performance as one of Jenna's waitress friends Dawn, with Curb Your Enthusiasm's Cheryl Hines playing Jenna's other friend and co-worker Becky. The three have a delightful chemistry which is really enjoyable to watch - the make over Jenna gives Dawn is a lovely moment as it encapsulates the succor each woman gives the other and is a great presentation of female friendship. The direction is equally engaging, full of colour and attention to detail - it might just be the waitress thing, but it really reminded me of Amelie. There is a great deal of kookiness to the picture and its tone and script reminded me of My Name is Earl or Pushing Daisies, filled as it is with the incongruous and zany, yet all the time full of heart. There are a few misjudged moments which are more intense, wandering into much darker territory and threatening to engulf its claim on our hearts as a purely uplifting movie. Earl is, after all, horrible. But what you ultimately remember about this movie is its inherent sweetness and power to move you to both laughter and tears. It could easily have been made into a TV series given its format and similarity to other such fare and I suspect it would have done well. It is a great shame that Shelly did not live to make another movie or to hear the praise which Waitress so deserves. I really recommend this movie and am subsequently rather tempted to make some of the pies.

Yes Man - DVD review

Before anyone starts snickering at this criminal lapse in taste, I have been through a bit of a crisis and in my defence just wanted to watch something mindless and funny. Yes Man, based on Danny Wallace's hilarious book and true account of saying 'yes' to everything following depression after a relationship breaks down, would seem to fit the bill with its outlandish plot and optimistic theme. Or so I thought. Hmm. Jim Carrey plays Carl (based on Danny), with ever quirky it girl Zooey Deschanel as his love interest. His marriage has broken down and he's in a slump, staying in every night and refusing to engage in life. After being dragged to a seminar extolling the virtues of 'Yes', led by a frightening Terence Stamp, Carl takes 'yes' to as many conclusions as possible.

The premise and source material for this is pretty good stuff (although I bet Dave Gorman is mightily pissed off that his kind of weird quests have been co-opted to secure much greater financial reward by his best mate), so it's a shame that the movie doesn't work as a comedy. The book is genuinely funny, so how could things have gone so very badly wrong?! Part of the blame lies with the casting of Carrey, who is just so much older than the rest of the cast that he looks completely out of place, as well as being extremely annoying. His rubber faced gurning belongs to the 90s and Ace Ventura and it's this which - unfortunately - he falls back on here. He can do dark and emotional (see: The Truman Show, Eternal Sunshine), so it's frustrating that he doesn't give a more sophisticated performance here. Not that the film relies upon dark or emotional (or indeed sophisticated), but Carrey has range which seems to have been abandoned at the set door for Yes Man, favouring a lazy comedy-by-numbers approach. The rest of the cast seem almost embarrassed to be involved in the movie and the only highlights come from the fantastic Rhys Darby (Flight of the Conchords) as Norman, Carl's fellow bank worker, and the aforementioned Ms Deschanel who takes kooky to whole new levels here. It is with Darby the laughs are garnered and through Deschanel that the charming romantic aspects of the story actually overtakes the comedic, to save the film from its dire script and terrible central casting.

Danny Wallace was obviously on board for this travesty, as he appears in a cameo at the end of the film, but it's hard to see why. This movie could have been so much better with someone like the ubiquitous Seth Rogen or adorable John Cusack as Carl. Rogen fits the age criteria and has the slacker factor, Cusack would have brought with him the mainstream likeability factor (sadly Carrey's casting must have been to bring this and draw in the punters - doh). My respect for Danny Wallace has totally diminished after watching this movie - he clearly saw it as a way to make a quick buck. Either that or is still saying 'yes' to any offer he is made. Will he never learn?!

The Ropes

I recently heard from someone in the street team working with The Ropes, a New York-based duo who are otherwise known as vocalist and bassist Sharon Shy) who looks like this generation's Nico and sounds mistily wistful) and multi-instrumentalist Toppy (known for playing drums with the guitar hanging around his neck). Described as something like The Knife meets The Chromatics, they have a bit of a shoegazing feel: if you like your rock/electronica fusions to sound vaguely portentous and haunting then I recommend you check them out. They are trendy without leaving you cold and will attract fans of dance and rock alike.

Check out the video to 'Be My Gun' below ...