January Favorites

24k Magic, Bruno Mars: I held off on getting this album because Unorthodox Jukebox hadn't lasted very long in my collection despite my long obsession with "Treasure". However, listening to my mother's copy of 24k Magic when I was home over the holidays quickly got this whole album lodged in my head and convinced me that this was an record that I'd want to keep around for quite a long while indeed. At only nine songs, there's not much room to dislike any of the tightly crafted, well written, and unapologetically funky tracks, but there are certainly some stellar standouts among those nine. "Chunky" and "That's What I Like" have been stuck in my head all month, "Versace on the Floor" and "Straight Up and Down" offer seductive, sultry sexiness, and the title track manages to channel both Mark Ronson and the Sugar Hill Gang, while being singularly Bruno through and through. Of course it doesn't hurt that this collection of songs describes a highly aspirational and rather irresistible lifestyle; sometimes a girl's gotta dream – and to have those dreams made more vivid by the smoothest grooves going. (Bonus: the liner notes are printed on super heavy cardstock, a highly admirable on-brand follow through.)

I, Daniel Blake: This film reminded me a lot of Time Out of Mind, and was equally heart-wrenching. The tears I cried during this film were generated by genuine empathy, rather than melodrama and some doleful string-led instrumental. That empathy was for four characters caught in a broken system (England's unemployment and worker's disability support program) whose emphasis on protocol and ticking boxes over decency, humanity, and common sense prevents upward mobility and places decent people in purgatory. The hardships and frustrations faced by the characters of Daniel and Katie seem all too real and believable. Each of the actors in these roles gives extremely convincing performances, and the little girl who plays Katie's daughter Daisy is also fantastic. While I, Daniel Blake is not an uplifting film by any means, it nonetheless offers a powerful social critique that deserves consideration and rumination.

Gorey: The Secret Lives of Edward Gorey: This is a delightful short play featuring three actors playing Edward Gorey as a young man, in middle age, and as an older man. The twist is that all three actors are on stage together, interacting with one another most of the time. I have been an Edward Gorey fan since I was a kid (what small child doesn't love a pop-up book about people being whisked away by monsters?), having been drawn in by his fascinating macabre artwork, I was curious to see this play and learn more about his life. While the play certainly does provide a wonderful teaser and a brief glimpse inside Gorey's clever & witty mind and his artistic process, it ultimately left me wanting to learn even more. I hope one day to visit the Edward Gorey house, a museum that inhabits the singular author and illustrator's last residence.

Handwritten and Illuminate, Shawn Mendes: While watching New Year's Rockin' Eve, I realized that I had been conflating Shawn Mendes and Charlie Puth, which was entirely unfair to poor Shawn Mendes, who is in fact talented and has many very good songs on offer. His performance of "Mercy" on NYRE was enough to convince me that I should buy both of his albums immediately, and I've had them in heavy rotation ever since. Mendes's sound is a nice mix of John Mayer and Ed Sheeran, with an appealing layer of innocence. The guy is only 18 years old, and that definitely comes though in his songs in the best way possible. Between the two albums, there are quite a few appealing tracks, driven by both lyrics and musicality. Forthwith, a selection of favorites: "Strings", "Don't Want Your Love", "Lost", "Ruin", "Don't Be a Fool", "Patience", and "Life of the Party".

"Your Man", THANKS featuring Sam Sparro: Anyone who loves Prince (this song does a very good job of channeling the Purple One's vibe and falsetto), Alphabeat (THANKS is two of the dudes from Alphabeat), and/or Sam Sparro's Return to Paradise will want to put this song on repeat and dance around their kitchen. Or maybe that's just me. This song is infectiously upbeat, and I find it nearly impossible to sit still while listening to it. The year has certainly gotten off to a very strong start on the musical front.

Othello: Since Daniel Craig was in this play, I made sure to get a front row seat, and I chose very well, as Daniel ended up standing directly in front of me, close enough to touch, on many occasions throughout the three hour running time. There was no actual stage, you see, so the front row came with a warning to be mindful of your feet and bags, lest they get in the actors' way. Playing Iago is such a different role for Daniel and he seemed to be relishing the chance to play a villain. Both he and David Oyelowo (as Othello) are masters of their craft, and watching them go at each other was a wonderfully intense experience. In fact, the whole production was intense, due to the themes of the play coupled with a modern military barracks setting. The fact that much of the play was performed in the dark or the near-dark heightened that intensity and meant that it was a production that was experienced rather than watched. However, the play as performed here also had many humorous moments, many of which were due to Daniel Craig's line delivery or simply his dialog with other characters. As I mentioned, Daniel seemed to be having *a lot* of fun with this role. The image of Daniel Craig singing "Hotline Bling" while dancing as if he were in a club is not something I will soon forget. Witnessing this production of Othello was a truly priceless experience.

Monster Trucks: I had to see this movie because I have become quite a big Lucas Till fan over the past six months or so. I had noticed him in the X-Men movies (or really I had noticed his awesomely 80s feathered hair and ridiculously square jaw in X-Men: Apocalypse), but it's his lead role in CBS's MacGyver that has really won me over. The man looks pretty much perfect, has charisma to spare, and can spout scientific jargon like nobody's business. Never mind that Monster Trucks was originally supposed to be released in May 2015, I thought the trailers looked cute and wanted all the Lucas Till I could get in my life. Monster Trucks is indeed a very cute, sweet, and fun movie that reminded me of stuff I used to watch when I was a kid (Escape to Witch Mountain keeps coming to mind for some reason). It's got the whole "kids helping a misunderstood animal/creature get home while foiling evil corporate grown-ups" thing going on for it, which is just as effective as a plot device now as it was in the 80s. Of course it doesn't hurt that in addition to Till and Jane Levy (as his highly capable and spunky leading lady), the cast also features Barry Pepper, Amy Ryan, Danny Glover, Thomas Lennon, and Rob Lowe. The monsters in question are so ugly that they're cute, and the truck thing actually works, with Till getting to do some MacGyvering long before he was actually MacGyver, and some pretty decent visual effects bringing everything to life. This movie isn't life-changing, but is is both adorable and enjoyable. Plus, you can't beak the kick-ass limited edition poster that goes with it.

"Moving On and Getting Over", John Mayer: This song's groove is simply irresistible. Like "Love on the Weekend", "Moving On and Getting Over" encapsulates John Mayer's genius, evoking an amalgam of past hits, while being a wholly unique – and gorgeous – song. The guitar playing is exceptional, and the rest of the band is so tight. This is what perfection sounds like.

Train at iHeartRadio Theatre: It's been a little over a year since I got heavy-duty into Train, but let's face it: this band has been a part of my life since "Meet Virginia" hit the airwaves in 1999. I was able to catch them at Fresh 102.7's Holiday Jam back in December, but I was nonetheless rather despondent when their recently announced summer tour seemed to exclusively stop at amphitheaters that are out of reach due to my car-less NYC existence. On top of that, I didn't even try to get tickets to their intimate East Village album release show because I was going to be out of town that night. "What's a girl to do?", you might ask. Well, this girl naturally won a Twitter contest to see Train at their other, iHeart Radio-sponsored album release show that was in the city and synced up with my schedule. Thank goodness for small miracles. And honestly, seeing Train in a 150-200 capacity venue beats seeing them at an amphitheater any day, even if the set was only an hour long. However, my excellent vantage point of the stage / Pat, along with a very well chosen set list made the show seem extra-intense and like it lasted much more than one measly hour. That set list included three songs from their new A Girl, A Bottle, A Boat album ("Play That Song", "Drink Up", and my current fave "Working Girl"), a great selection of hits ("Meet Virginia", "Drops of Jupiter", "Hey, Soul Sister", "50 Ways to Say Goodbye", "Drive By", "If It's Love", and "Calling All Angels"), and a skillfully rendered, well-sung cover of "Under Pressure". While I certainly hope to see Train perform a full-length headlining show one of these days, this iHeart Radio show is a concert experience that I'll treasure for quite some time.

A Girl, A Bottle, A Boat, Train: Speaking of Train, they have a new album! It is very good! Last month, I covered how awesome "Working Girl" and "Lottery" are, but along with the release of the full album comes more songs to fall in love with. "Drink Up" has certainly grown on me, mainly because of the genius of the line "Take this moment and put it in a glass / If you want a sip, I got memories on tap", and its party vibe is continued later on the album with the energetic "Lost and Found". The throw-back vocal stylings of "Valentine" and "Loverman" are certainly delightful, and "You Better Believe" is the latest in Train's long line of uplifting, piano-driven ballads. Basically, this is one of those albums that I can easily love in its entirety; its sunny, positive vibes are just the thing to make spring seem like it's just around the corner.

The Pirate Sessions III, Jesse Rice: Just in time to melt away the winter blues, the long awaited follow-up to The Pirate Sessions has finally arrived – and it doesn't disappoint. Like its predecessor(s), The Pirate Sessions III is chock full of Jesse Rice's tropical vibes that blend influences like Chesney, Buffett, and The Beach Boys into one frothy, boozy delight. Indeed, you can't get an album much more tailored to my own vibe than one with a lead track titled "Tank Tops & Flip Flops". So far my favorite tracks are the "Kokomo"-influenced "Get Your Island On", the delightfully escapist "Castaways", and the singalong-ready "88 in the Shade". I don't get to the Caribbean much these days, but I'm glad that I have Jesse's albums to bring the Caribbean to me.