I will probably have to write another small post soon about three more.
The Studio (2025)
I have never found Seth Rogan especially funny. Loud, yes. Obnoxious, too. Very on the nose. Yet now that I have finally seen all the ten episodes of The Studio, I can report that I haven't laughed this much since the last season of Veep.
The TV show is, of course, about the excess and the madness of Hollywood. The new studio head (played by Rogan himself, who is also a co-writer and co-director) is full of ideas and aspirations - but he gets stuck inside the Hollywood machine. Which is merciless and cruel but also, essentially, a lot of fun. His first assignment, given to him by the studio's CEO Griffin Mill (played, with complete abandon, by Bryan Cranston), is to make a Kool-Aid film. And that is just the beginning.
The guest cast includes everyone from Martin Scorsese to Ice Cube. The Studio is often an uncomfortable watch, but in the best way possible. Matt Remick (Rogan's character) is forever stuck between the desire to make money and remain, somehow, an artist. And that premise is a goldmine if exploited with reason and taste. The Studio succeeds, if only because it is, at its heart, about our love of cinema.
Bookish (2025)
Bookish, on the other hand, was a major disappointment. Or maybe I shouldn't say "major" as there is nothing major about Bookish. It is a cozy little series from Britain set in post-war London. The writer is Mark Gatiss and he is also its main star, a bookshop owner (hence the title) and a private detective.
I may just tired of all these detective TV shows, but I believe there is more. The whole thing feels so contrived and so artificial it is difficult to care for any of it: the plot, the characters and who the actual culprit is in each episode. I guess if you are a big Mark Gatiss fan, this could work, but I got sick of all the mannerisms very quickly.
It was nice to see Paul McGann in a minor role, but otherwise I saw no point in this. Bookish is basically Sherlock Holmes buried under a lot of dust and pretence. It is precious and stylish, and also unforgivably grating.
Adolescence (2025)
Interesting how several people I recommended this to got back to me saying how dissatisfied they were with the ending. Interesting, but it is easy to see why this happened: one expects a detective story from this, a mystery. Adolescence is neither, and if you are looking for the answer to the easiest question, it is given to you during the first five minutes.
Famously, all four episodes of Adolescence were made with one shot. This gives the series a real live feeling and grips you and never lets go. The show drags you through the workings of a police station, the insides of a modern-day school (horrifying, frankly), a masterful episode-long interview with a forensic psychologist and an absolutely harrowing meltdown of the finale. You will also learn a lot about the social network shenanigans, and you will probably need subtitles for that. I know I did.
We start with a 13-year old boy dragged out of bed and taken to a police station for committing a gruesome murder. The boy pisses himself out of fear. Again, do not expect a detective story. It may feel that way on occasion but what it is, essentially, is a full-on soul-crushing drama about the relationship between parents and children, masterfully conceived and executed. Also, on the off chance that you haven't heard it yet: the acting of the boy really is phenomenal.
Зусім хутка выходзіць мая другая кніга, "Цягнік да Познаня". Гэта пяцьдзесят польскіх партрэтаў, гісторый, эсэ. Месца дзеяння ўвесь час мяняецца, але рэдка выходзіць за межы Польшчы. Прынамсі, геаграфічна.
Гэта вельмі эмігранцкая, вельмі асабістая кніга, дзе з дробных эпізодаў і маленькіх дэталяў я паспрабаваў стварыць свет рэальных людзей. Бо я сапраўды сустракаў кожнага з іх. Польскую піяністку, якая ў старым памяшканні грала музыку Баха. Хлопчыка, які апантана чытаў кнігу на бруднай падлозе варшаўскага аўтобуса. Маладую дзяўчыну, якая стаяла на каленях у касцёле св. Роха ў Беластоку.
"Цягнік да Познаня" перамог у літаратурным конкурсе "Шуфлядка" ў намінацыі "нон-фікшн". Перадзамову кнігі можна зрабіць на сайце выдавецтва Gutenberg: https://gutenbergpublisher.eu/shop/ciahnik/
У продажы яна з'явіцца напрыканцы месяца. 26 ліпеня кніга будзе прадстаўлена на літаратурным фестывалі ў Кракаве.
It would be true to say that if Sandinista! was a single album, it would be the best album of all time. It would also be true to say that if Sandinista! was a double album, it would still be my favourite album ever. What I have finally realised, 20 years into listening to Sandinista! in all its patchy messed-up glory, is that even as a triple album featuring no less than 36 songs - it is still the single greatest musical experience I have ever had.
People often say that about The White Album, but I've beaten that horse to death too many times now. The chorus of "The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill" is abysmal. "Why Don't We Do It In The Road?" is a waste of tape. "Don't Pass Me By" is just weak. There is simply too much filler. Besides, The Beatles were not even functioning as a full unit at that point (which, come to think of it, is why "Dig It" and "Maggie Mae" work and "Wild Honey Pie" does not).
When it comes to Sandinista!, even the filler works. Every dub remix sung backwards by a kids' choir (loosely speaking) feels engaging, feels like it belongs. This was The Clash operating at the height of their songwriting / arranging / playing powers, and it certainly helps that this may well be the most stylistically diverse album ever recorded.
Side one.
1. "The Magnificent Seven".
Disco-funk with strong shades of hip-hop to Joe Strummer's vocals. Propelled by Paul Simonon's massive bass line, "The Magnificent Seven" is, of course, an absolute classic. All through its five and a half minutes, the groove is unrelenting.
2. "Hitsville UK".
Mick Jones's classic pop song with gospel overtones. This was released as a single, but stalled at number 56. The whole thing is so engaging and feels so genuine that in an ideal world it would top any decent chart.
3. "Junco Partner".
A reggae cover! This is where we start to lose people as this might not have been something many Clash listeners signed up for when they purchased Sandinista! back in 1980. But never mind that. This is groovy and fun (full of all kinds of quirky sounds) and I have always loved that relentless violin in the background. Joe Strummer is clearly enjoying himself on the vocals.
4. "Ivan Meets G.I. Joe".
This is, essentially, a disco tune filled with some bizarre space invaders sounds in the background - as everything else on here, this is intense and totally addictive. Killer violins, too.
5. "The Leader".
Oddly, this was the first song from Sandinista! that I heard. A short (1:41) rockabilly tune that was probably recorded in one take. Catchy and smart.
6. "Something About England".
This one is among the greatest songs ever written. In the midst of a lovely wall of sound (pianos, strings, trumpets, backing vocals) this is Mick Jones exercising his great pop sensibilities. So good, in fact, that it would appear again on the album - albeit in a totally deranged version. But we will get to it later.
Side two.
1. "Rebel Waltz".
The Clash doing a cold, downbeat, dirge-like waltz that has always been among my absolute favourites on the album. My only complaint is that I wish it could go on for a couple of minutes longer. That subtle guitar line is gorgeous.
2. "Look Hear".
This is a fast-paced jazz number filled with hip pianos, vibraphones, harmonicas and God knows what else. Very cool.
3. "The Crooked Beat".
Another groovy reggae song, this time sung by Paul Simonon in that inimitable menace-inducing voice of his. Dig those crazy sound effects in the background.
4. "Somebody Got Murdered".
God I love the way this one starts - like we are in for an epic pop classic. And we are. Once again, Mick Jones on the vocals, which means that we are in pop rock heaven yet again. Oddly, many people think that the man's highest point was "Lost In The Supermarket" and that he lost it after The Clash. Not true. Even his Big Audio Dynamite days are filled with occasional brilliance ("Medicine Show", "Applecart", "Innocent Child").
5. "One More Time".
This could be my favourite reggae song on the whole album. I love those dark, classy 15 seconds that open the song, but even when the song settles into its main groove - I'm all for it.
6. One More Dub".
Hilariously and (somewhat) ridiculously, they chose to follow "One More Time" with its dub remix. I still have a lot of fun listening to it (the percussion, the groove), though. Think of it as an extended coda.
Side three.
1. "Lightning Strikes (Not Once But Twice)".
The second LP opens in a very similar way to the first one, and I mean that quite literally. "Lightning Strikes" is built on pretty much the same disco/funk rhythm as "The Magnificent Seven". But with the musicianship this astounding - why not?
2. "Up In Heaven (Not Only Here").
And... we are back in Mick Jones' territory. Terrific power chords and the sort of propulsive yet lovely vocal melody the man has always been so good at. Beautiful ringing guitar hook guiding the song forward, until the very end.
3. "Corner Soul".
Imagine reggae mixed with gospel and sounding out-of-this-world gorgeous. Soulful, gentle, deeply affecting with a brilliant vocal hook ("Is the music calling for a river of blood?") from Strummer and the female backing vocalists. Topper Headon's drumming is exceptional, too. This is a big personal favourite.
4. "Let's Go Crazy".
Christ this side three is incredible. "Let's Go Crazy" is, what, calypso music? Well, whatever it is, I find the groove totally infectious.
5. "If Music Could Talk".
Lots of people tend to have a problem with this sax-driven light jazz instrumental (well, technically, it has Joe Strummer saying something or other in the background - but the voice is here merely for the vibes), but I am okay with a little tasteful respite. All the more so because at this point I would trust them with dubstep or nu metal (not).
6. "The Sound Of Sinners".
Well, this one is straight-up gospel: sincere, full-blown, unforgettable. If I was Catholic, I would totally sing this one after my next sermon. Yet another highlight.
Side four.
1. "Police On My Back".
Is this the best song on the album? I can no longer tell, honestly, but play this right now and tell me what you think. This is a punk song by a band who has long outgrown the genre. The siren-like guitars, the power chords, Mick Jones's vocals, the anthemic melody. Surprisingly, this was a cover, but they totally reinvented what was originally a fairly inconspicuous mid-tempo little rock song.
2. "Midnight Log".
Two-minute boogie? Why not. This is playful and catchy, with a memorable harmonica hook.
3. "The Equaliser".
This is the first true reggae song in a while - except that it isn't. It is sparse, psychedelic and rather demented. Downbeat, too. Those bizarre violin insertions are mesmerising - as is the rest of the song.
4. "The Call Up".
Oddly, this was the biggest single from the album - oddly because I've always believed that there were a lot more options here with a much higher commercial potential. Still, it is wonderfully creepy (lyrically in particular) and the groove just never lets up. Maddening and melancholic.
5. "Washington Bullets".
Caribbean music. Just yesterday I was walking through a small Polish town reenacting that rhythm inside my head, time and time again. One of the most infectious songs on the album, and its lyrics actually feature the word "Sandinista" (the name of the Socialist party in Nicaragua that was fighting against the US occupation). A classic, of course.
6. "Broadway".
Well, try to decipher what this is. A dark, nocturnal groove with a rather downbeat and rambling performance from Strummer. Classy piano, laidback vibes. Listen to this while walking home on a Saturday night. Also, the song ends, quite inexplicably, with a little girl (Maria Gallagher, daughter of one of the musicians on the album) singing "Guns Of Brixton". Lovely!
Side five.
1. "Lose This Skin".
The third LP starts with an intense, incessant, ridiculously brilliant violin groove and features vocals from Tymon Dogg (silly me, I always thought this was a woman singing). The passionate chorus always gets under my skin (no pun intended). An absolute delight, and one of the album's greatest highlights.
2. "Charlie Don't Surf".
I have only recently rewatched Apocalypse Now for another time, and it was of course in Coppola's classic film where these words first appeared (spoken by Bill Kilgore in one of the cinema's most iconic scenes). Here, The Clash take these words and record a surf rock classic.
3. "Mensforth Hill".
It is worth noting that this is song number 27 on the album, so if you've made it thus far, you might as well go all the way. "Mensforth Hill" is the return of "Something About England", only recorded backwards and with crazy overdubs. I enjoy it freely, against my better judgement.
4. "Junkie Slip".
Hardly a classic by any stretch of the imagination, this jerky little tune is still enjoyable. Remember, Sandinista! is a journey, and "Junkie Slip" is an essential part of it.
5. "Kingston Advice".
Another overlooked highlight - particularly good are those guitar-led parts with Mick Jones on vocals. Really catchy, and I love that "liiiife" hook.
6. "The Street Parade".
Again, I don't know what this is - but I love the downbeat nature of the verse. Plus, the brassy chorus is a subtle delight. Inessential, but I'm happy it is here.
Side six.
1. "Version City".
The 'difficult' last side opens with this soulful, gospel-tinged groove that is as memorable as anything else on the album. But buckle up! This is the last relatively normal song on Sandinista!
2. "Living In Fame".
The truly rough patch starts here, but, again, just stick with it and get lost in the grooves. "Living In Fame" is a dub version of "If Music Could Talk". Which means: bigger bass, more reggae-fied, even groovier.
3. "Silicone on Sapphire".
Dub version of "Washington Bullets"! Even if The Clash did it to fulfil their contractual obligations, I still love it. Not least because "Washington Bullets" was so good.
4. "Version Pardner".
Dub version of "Junco Partner"! Five-plus minutes might be stretching it a little, but all that percussion and all those bizarre sound effects are so addictive, I find myself enjoying it every time I get this far (which is always).
5. "Career Opportunities".
This is a version of the punk classic sung by two little children: Luke Gallagher and Ben Gallagher. I once read a long article in Uncut about the making of this album, and as far as I remember, the kids got toy guns for doing this. Well worth it, I guess. Love this to bits.
6. "Shepherds Delight".
We end, quite fittingly, with a percussion-driven reggae instrumental.
P.S. Do yourself a favour. Next time you go on a long trip, take this album with you. Live with it a little. Let it breathe. Get lost in it. It will soundtrack your experience, and it will deliver new wonders every time you will listen to it in the future. It is THAT good.
I never thought I would ever say it, but Pulp are back. Fucking hell. And while More could hardly beat that perfect three-album run they had in the 1990s, it still met my highest expectations. The album never feels tired or laboured. It is clever, groovy, totally engaging. And it has, in the relentless "Grown Ups", one of their best songs ever.
All things considered, Patrick Wolf's comeback felt just as unlikely. His previous album, the unashamedly poppy Lupercalia, was released back in 2011 when the world was a much different place. And, after all these years of oblivion, Crying The Neck feels like both a healing process and a rebirth. I'm delighted to report that Patrick has not lost any of his songwriting powers: the songs may at first appear somewhat meandering, but further listens reveal strong hooks. He does romantic balladry ("The Last Of England", "Hymn Of The Haar"), he does romantic pop music ("Limbo", "Dies Irae"), and it all amounts to a career peak.
Also, new albums by two unfading rock stars of the 60s. Neil Young's Talkin' To The Trees is the usual ragged affair that teases but never quite delivers (it's been a while since I last loved a new original Neil Young album). Still, the disarmingly gorgeous "First Fire Of Winter" almost makes it all worth it. Van Morrison, for his part, has recorded his best album in years. In fact, if there is anything frustrating about Remembering Now, it's that with a little editing it could have been even better. As it is, 68 minutes is taking things a little too far. But damn it if there isn't an eight song classic in here.
Finally, my review of the new record by Comet Gain can be found here (short version: it is excellent).
P.S. I still haven't heard the new Half Man Half Biscuit album in its entirety - but I certainly will at some point.
Songs of the month:
"Grown-Ups" by Pulp
"Down To Joy" by Van Morrison
"First Fire Of Winter" by Neil Young
"Jupiter" by Patrick Wolf
"The Ballad Of The Lives We Led" by Comet Gain
"56 Nervous Breakdowns" by Luke Haines & Peter Buck
"Jack's Been To The National" by Half Man Half Biscuit
Once in a while, out of tiredness or sheer frustration, I switch on the first episode of Veep to put things right. It is, of course, absolute perfection, all 29 minutes of it. But then I know, two or three jokes into this thing: I have to watch the whole series yet again. From start to finish, from pilot to finale. All seven seasons of it.
Which is what I have just done, all the way down to that unforgettable final footage that so beautifully brings the show full circle. Needless to say, I enjoyed it as much as ever (how many times have I done this now - five, six?). Except that this time there was one significant thing that was different. Because in the past, you see, I used to root for Selina Meyer. That's right. All through those five or six times that I had watched Veep previously, I could see what a monster she was becoming and yet through the thick and through the thin - I just wanted her to win. However many fuck-ups and betrayals, however much backstabbing and hypocrisy it took, I just wanted her to pull it off.
Well, not this time. And it is not even because I have lost all my sense of humour all of a sudden (if anything, this time I chuckled and snickered and guffawed more than ever; that croissant joke is still one of the best things ever). It is because this latest rewatch took that old "hitting too close to home" cliché to a whole new level. I can probably even pinpoint the exact moment that it happened: when during her campaign Selina Meyer sits in her office and decides who she holds the biggest grudge against and who will fall first the moment she becomes president. And all of a sudden, I could no longer get the image of that revengeful little clown who is currently running the US out of my head.
But so much has changed. A few days ago I watched the interview with the Veep cast that was recorded during Trump's first term, and at the start of the talk all of the actors and creators of the series could not stop talking about how much they despised him. Again, that was a different time. In fact, not voicing your contempt back in 2019 or so would have appeared embarrassing. These days, most people just refuse to say anything. Interviewers don't ask the questions, artists do not give the answers. Few are willing to run the risk of alienating a huge portion of the audience. Bruce Springsteen has recently expressed his disdain for the orange cookie monster and see what fucking happened: his concert was cancelled due to the outrage of some of his supporters. Many of whom, obviously, do not go out without their red caps.
This is all too easy to explain, of course. In these times when the levels of human intelligence are falling and populism is on the rise, Trump has his support. That the guy's vocabulary is maybe a hundred words and he has no idea what he is talking about half the time, is irrelevant. He has charisma (of the lowest kind), he has the appeal. In the current climate, if the cast of the Veep gave an interview like that, we would not get such unanimity. In fact, we might just get nothing (which, admittedly, is better than the disingenuous mental gymnastics currently practiced by the likes of Douglas Murray, Ben Shapiro, Jordan Peterson et al).
So coming back to where we started... I love Veep as much as ever (still in my top 5 favourite TV shows of all time). It is so good, in fact, that the monster it created has started to mess up with the reality a little too much.
Comet Gain have always been a special band. I first heard them around fifteen years ago, and I believe it was "Some Of Us Don't Want To Be Saved" that sealed the deal for me. I simply refused to believe that obscurity could be this glorious, but there it was: the anthemic melody, the yearning and the desperation of David Christian's voice. I was hooked, and over the years I would listen to "Long After Tonite's Candles Are Blown" every summer morning in 2014 as I would be walking through the streets of Rome. I would make it a habit to listen to the adrenaline rush of "Just One More Summer Before I Go" at the end of May. And I sure as hell would often find myself singing "Movies" to myself at various points in my life (is there a chorus more infectious than that one?).
There are currently six ratings for the band's new album, Letters To Ordinary Outsiders (the most Comet Gain album title imaginable), on the RateYourMusic website. Not even reviews - ratings. Which is a shame, because it is another great addition to their catalogue that now encompasses 30 years. Literate, romantic, wistful indie rock music, tuneful to the point of delirium.
Very little distinguishes this album from their previous LP, Fireraisers Forever! (2019), or from most of their work prior to that. David Christian says this is more pop and accessible but you would have to take it with a grain of salt. Comet Gain have very rarely been inaccessible (despite the dodgy sound quality on those early records and a number of self-consciously abrasive pieces like "The Punk Got Fucked"). Even when they tried to rock out (think of all that distortion on Howl Of The Lonely Crowd), there was always something inherently sweet about them. And it terms of the actual sound, Letters is as warm and and charming as Paperback Ghosts.
There is no point in talking about individual songs. To a casual listener they would all sound either poor or amazing. Since I would definitely go for the latter, I find endless charm in this latest batch of melodies that manage to sound like twee pop without being twee. There are some timely female vocals. A couple of heady anthems. A little rock and roll. Even some fairly unexpected sonic jam towards the end of "Threads!". Essentially, though, there are twelve great songs with some of the best melodies you will hear all year. Nothing earth-shattering, nothing ground-breaking - just beautiful music all around.
Letters To Ordinary Outsiders is not Comet Gain's best album (What is the best Comet Gain album, though? My pick would probably be City Fallen Leaves but they have been really consistent since 2002's Réalistes), but what a lovely reminder that some of the best things in life exist entirely out of time. Sometimes I think that might be the only way to be truly timeless.
I have to confess that the moment that I heard the first single from the album ("Strawberries", released in early March), I was extremely underwhelmed. It was a decent Lovin' Spoonful pastiche, charming and inoffensive, but was it not just a piece of prime good-time filler? Did Karin (Robert's wife and also musician in her own right) not overdo the playfulness bit with her vocal performance? (And just to make sure: I'm a huge Lovin' Spoonful fan, and could extol the virtues of songs like "Coconut Grove" for days on end.)
My apprehension, though, was crushed seconds after the first riff of "Tell It Back To Me" started playing. Christ what a relief. And what an absolute classic of an opening song. Forster has always been so good at them, especially of late: "Crazy Jane On A Judgement Day". "If It Rains". "Learn To Burn". "She's A Fighter". And "Tell It Back To Me" is among his very best. It is a narrative song (one of several), with an optimistic lyrical twist, timeless vocal melody and blissful guitar hookline.
The second song, "Good To Cry" is an effective rock'n'roll throwback that he still likes to do on occasion (think "121" from Calling From A Country Phone), but to be honest songs like that are not the reason why I love the man. It is the charismatic lyricism ('they made love quickly once, they made love slowly twice') and the tough, intelligent melodicism that does it, and it can all be found on the eight-minute epic "Breakfast On A Train" which is the centrepiece of this album and also the longest song he has ever done. The whole thing flows quite masterfully, with tension and intrigue bubbling underneath.
In a recent video interview Forster mentioned that it had always been a dream of his, to make his own eight song album (think of something as stylish and pure as Astral Weeks and Marquee Moon). And it is a beautiful idea, beautifully realised. Strawberries is split evenly, with four songs on each side. The second one features the upbeat "All Of The Time" (think of "Learn To Burn" from 2015, but with shades of Leonard Cohen in the vocal melody), the wistful piano-based "Such A Shame", the stark, striking ballad "Foolish I Know" (with a surprising lyrical twist) and the free-flowing "Diamonds" that starts with a "For What It's Worth"-like guitar hook and erupts at the end with a great saxophone-led explosion.
All through the album, he is backed by what he calls his 'Swedish band'. They are fantastic, and they also going to perform with him during the European tour later this year. But coming back to Strawberries for a second... It is not his strongest album (I would go for The Evangelist or Danger In The Past), but his melodies and his lyrics still sparkle. Plus, the album features what may well be the best use of the word "fuck" in a song in recent memory.
