review: Last News

Hadestown, abruptly quitting New York for Vermont ahead of the birth of her second child in early 2020 not only gave her the space to reconnect with herself, it gifted the spark that would allow her to deliver the self-titled Anaïs Mitchell (★★★☆☆), her first album of original material in almost a decade.If you’re familiar with the colorful stories and characters of Hadestown, Mitchell’s prowess as a songwriter and storyteller needs no introduction. For all that Mitchell makes of her desire to tell her story, what really stands out in Anaïs Mitchell is not so much the stories themselves, but the way she pulls out moments in time and pins down the ephemeral feelings that accompany them.

In Greek mythology, it holds that for a time, gods and mortals mingled freely, creating demigods whose sole aim was to prove their worth so they might join their celestial kin. For the Greeks, the gods who ruled on mount Olympus formed the idealized version of humans—often possessing super strength to match their perfect physiques.

While introducing “Radical,” director Christopher Zalla (“Sangre de Mi Sangre”/”Blood of My Blood”) said it was a labor of love. In addition to that, he said it’s a “movie about what happens when kids are empowered.” And while the film definitely explores this in a well-crafted display of filmmaking, it also leaves a bit of a dark shadow in the minds of those allergic to the notion that your mind is all you need to succeed.

The prospect of deep-sea mining may seem like a solution to our ever-growing fuel crisis. Polymetallic nodules that sit on the ocean floor are made up of the very type of metals that so-called ‘green’ companies need to build batteries.

Not only are Gia’s children in foster care, awaiting their mother’s journey through the system to end before they can be fully reunited, Gia (Tia Nomore) is also pregnant. Nearing her due date, the 24-year-old works to fulfill the cumbersome court-mandated requirements for reunification with her kids while she scrounges for hours at her portrait studio job.

Night Call (★★★★☆) is the third album to be released under the name Years & Years, now Alexander’s solo project following the departure of Emre Türkmen and Mikey Goldsworthy from the group. As much as Alexander’s personality shone on Years & Years’ first two albums, going solo has allowed him to showcase the beautifully twisted contents of his mind like never before.The album starts on a strong foot with “Consequences,” a funky, synthy opener that is unmistakably a Years & Years track.

Lawn Boy, by Jonathan Evison, and Gender Queer: A Memoir, by Maia Kobabe, were yanked from the shelves of high school libraries in the district after parents filed complaints alleging that the books contained sexually explicit content and were inappropriate for minors to read, and that they contained scenes involving pedophilia. Under an existing FCPS regulation, upon receiving a formal complaint about a book, two committees, comprised of parents, librarians, school administrators, and students over the age of 18, were formed to determine whether the two books were suitable (as optional independent reading material, not part of any curriculum) for high school students.Following lengthy discussions on the merits and concerns of the book as a

Red (Taylor’s Version) (★★★☆☆) comes in two distinct pieces. The bulk of it is a revisiting and reworking of tracks from 2012’s Red.

Voyage (★★★★★), the supergroup has exceeded all expectations, triumphantly launching the final act of their careers.One of the most striking things about the album, and especially its lead singles, is just how “ABBA” it sounds. This shouldn’t be surprising, in theory, given this is the exact same group.

Future Past (★★★★☆) seems crafted to remind us why they get to call themselves pop icons.If the album’s title and track names — styled in all-caps — didn’t underline it enough, Duran Duran are as enthusiastic and boisterous on Future Past as ever.The opening track “Invisible” doesn’t start things off with quite the same level of bombast that the band has introduced other albums with, but the depth lent to it by its crunchy, grungy guitars and sultry backing vocals are enough to hold your attention.They carry that energy right into the next few tracks.

If you ended up stuck at home for a good chunk of 2020, you might have gone to drastic measures to keep your sanity intact. You might have taken up crochet, gotten really into sourdough or puzzles or houseplants, or if you were Elton John, invited several of your most successful and famous friends to collaborate on what would become The Lockdown Sessions (★★★☆☆).Having this much star power together in one place has made for an eclectic series of offerings.

Saturday Night, Sunday Morning (★★★☆☆) is Bugg’s first album since embarking on a sort of career relaunch after the tepid reception of his last album, and it is readily apparent from the first few tracks that with his pivot, he has found the sharpness he was looking for, and recaptured some of the rawness of his early work.Aside from his singularly strange name-checking of ABBA as an influence on the album’s sound, there is definitely more of a radio-ready pop sensibility to it, bolstered by the input of powerhouse songwriters including Andrew Watt and Ali Tamposi whose recent credits include the likes of Miley Cyrus and Dua Lipa.Leveraging that star power pays off right out of the gate, when he comes out swinging and stomping with the

Candyman (★★☆☆☆) don’t have to wait long before the mythical boogeyman materializes to dig his hook into whomever should be so bold as to summon him.Historically speaking, and as one character aptly puts it, “Black people don’t need to be summoning shit.” As the film asserts, Black folks have suffered enough pain and degradation over centuries without conjuring up a phantom murderer just for kicks.

Solar Power (★★★☆☆) is as close to an album made up of pure vibes as she gets.Her preoccupation with the environment and back-to-nature ethos, right down to the earth-friendly “music box” she is releasing in lieu of a CD, is borne out in the album’s warm, analog sound and repeated references to natural forces and the rhythms of the earth and the sun.This version of Lorde, preoccupied with the sun, the ocean, and cleansing crystals, is hardly the same artist we met on 2017’s Melodrama.

Shiny’s Democracy (★★★☆☆) features the Irish-born, Australian psychedelic rocker reenacting an iconic photo from the ’70s, with a trace of irony — the original photo of the Australian Prime Minister being dismissed from parliament represents for Shiny Joe “a failure of democracy.” But the artist’s first solo album in seven years is anything but a failure, with a catchy, accessible sound that is still very much his own.As a founding member of Pond and sometime collaborator with their Western Australian neighbors Tame Impala, Shiny Joe has been swimming in psych rock circles for some time. Like its close cousin prog rock, the genre loves a good concept album, as attested by Pond’s recent work and Shiny Joe’s solo debut.

Home Video (★★★★☆) thoughtfully teases out what it means to leave a version of ourselves behind, and what we might find when we revisit that self years later.Since her 2016 debut, Dacus has made an art of astute self-observation. With this record, she sharpens her focus beyond general patterns and feelings, preferring to get specific.

The Four. Having already landed a well-received EP and wide recognition for “Be Me,” the opening song for season five of Netflix’s Queer Eye, the dynamic and charismatic Vincint is once again doubling down on his strengths and baring his soul on his first full-length LP, There Will Be Tears (★★★★☆).Considering Vincint first rode into the spotlight on a singing competition, it should be no surprise to anyone that the first thing to notice about him is his voice, which shines throughout the album.

Age Don’t Mean a Thing and 2017’s critically acclaimed, tongue-in-cheek Goin’ Platinum, seems far from ready to slow down.His latest collection of songs, Sharecropper’s Son (★★★★☆), is steeped in blues and soul tradition, bringing a whole lifetime of performance and love of southern musical tradition to bear on an album that brilliantly showcases all of Finley’s strengths.Sharecropper’s Son is autobiographical in nature, inspired by the musician’s upbringing in the rural Jim Crow South. The farmlands and swamps of southern Louisiana are a constant presence in the album, with Finley acting as guide, bringing listeners from the country to the city and back again as he chased a nebulous dream of a better life.

The Tipping Scale (★★★★☆). With that flippant, self-aware, somewhat deprecating observation, Kinlaw pulls back the curtain on the appeal of her entrancing songwriting.As a choreographer, composer, visual artist, as well as musician, she is highly attuned to detail and nuance — a high degree of control is necessary.

Super Monster (★★★★☆) is full of clever, insightful songs all about the messy process of figuring yourself out.On the surface, most of the songs are about the various stages of relationships, from longing to heartbreak, but it becomes apparent quickly that the objects of affection in the songs amount to side-pieces in Claud’s own journey of self-discovery.

Judas and the Black Messiah (★★★★☆). As portrayed by the ever-unpredictable LaKeith Stanfield (Atlanta), O’Neal is a mercurial mischief-maker, a steadfast soldier who’s also a calculated infiltrator.