July Favorites

Beautiful Life, Rick Astley: Beautiful Life is a fantastic natural continuation of Rick Astley's work. It has some similarities to Keep It Turned On ("Beautiful Life", with some influence from Sting circa Brand New Day thrown in there as well) and 50 ("Rise Up", "Try"), while also introducing new sonic twists. The expansive narrative quality of most of the songs on this album makes it easy to imagine each track being used in a movie or even a contemporary stage musical. I've already opined on my love for "Empty Heart", and my other favorite tracks are the rhythm-driven "Shivers" and the funky, soulful "Better Together" (which wouldn't be out of place on the Body & Soul album). The twelve tracks on Beautiful Life are a great showcase for Rick's influences, his songwriting, his musicianship, and of course his voice. Every song sounds fresh, while also sounding unmistakably like Rick Astley. I look forward to hearing these new songs performed live on Rick's next US tour (as soon as he gets it scheduled!)

The Cakemaker: The Cakemaker is a quietly beautiful German-Israeli film. The characters in this wonderful film speak three different languages (German, Hebrew, and English), but often the most powerful moments in the film are those in which a character is given the time and space to contemplate their circumstances and/or choices in silence. While too many quiet moments can sometimes weigh down a film or feel contrived, that is not the case with The Cakemaker because the acting and the score are both so good that the judicious use of silence actually works to add to the audience's understanding of the characters and their thoughts & motivations. Even though some of the plot points can be seen coming from miles away, I was thoroughly engaged in this film from beginning to end. The film explores love and loss in fresh and interesting ways while also providing a glimpse into Israeli culture. These cultural aspects and the issue of language and communication shed new light on old themes.

Mission: Impossible – Fallout: Ghost Protocol is still the best Mission: Impossible film (hard to beat the whole Dubai sequence), and I hold a special place in my heart for M:I-2 (mainly due to Tom's excellent hair and the opening rock climbing sequence), but Fallout is definitely the next best in the series. Fallout is mainly a collection of insane action sequences held together by a plot that is surprisingly not too contrived nor too difficult to follow. There are HALO jumps, truck/motorcycle chases, an intense Tom-Cruise-running sequence, and a totally bonkers helicopter chase that is topped off by some M:I-2 throwback rock climbing. Tom Cruise is getting to do all the things he loves to do, with the twist that nothing goes perfectly and Ethan Hunt is most definitely not super-human. The inclusion of details about Ethan's personal life / backstory adds a layer of humanity to the story that almost makes Fallout feel like a James Bond film. The locations and stunts all have the sweeping scope more often seen in Bond films, and the villain has a bit of a Bond Villain feel to him as well in that he is a personal nemesis for Ethan. However, the clever use of masks and the presence of Luther and Benji cracking wise and providing some much needed grounding make this a Mission: Impossible film through-and-through. Rebecca Ferguson reprising her role as Ilsa Faust is most welcome, but Henry Cavill (and his awful facial hair) feels out of place in more ways than one. Overall, Fallout is another excellent and thrilling addition to the Mission: Impossible franchise, and I look forward to seeing it several more times at the cinema.

Songs for the Saints, Kenny Chesney: There have been a handful of Kenny Chesney singles that I've loved over the years, but I've only ever owned one of his albums: Be As You Are: Songs From An Old Blue Chair. I love the laid back Buffett-esque island vibes and strong storytelling of this collection of odes to the Caribbean, and have wished ever since that he would do another album like it. With Songs for the Saints, my wish has finally been granted. This new album is another collection of carefully crafted love letters to the magic, romance, and resilience of the Caribbean islands. Nearly every song on this album is a keeper, with the exception of "Get Along", which feels out of place as a song meant to appeal to Chesney's usual audience and act as a radio-friendly single. "Song for the Saints", "Every Heart", "Pirate Song", and "Gulf Moon" are especially strong tracks. An enjoyable duet with Jimmy Buffett himself on "Trying to Reason with Hurricane Season" is followed by "We're All Here", whose lyrics are vaguely reminiscent of another Buffett classic, "Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes". Even though he didn't have a hand in writing all the tracks on the album, the stripped-back production and relaxed, introspective vibes of Songs for the Saints allow Chesney's genuine love for the Caribbean – particularly the Virgin Islands – shine through.