While everyones won, the Battle is lost

Battle Born’ review

By Sophie Isbister,
Contributor

pon first hearing
Battle Born (released
September 18), it would

seem that Brandon Flowers
and those other dudes from

The Killers were heavily
influenced by George R.R.
Martin’s sweeping fantasy
series A Song of Ice and
Fire. The first track, “Flesh

and Bone,” is appropriately

epic, with doom-filled
soundscapes and soaring
vocals. Unfortunately, the

pace falters, and by the time

you reach the title track at
the end of the album, you
might already have been
lulled to sleep.

Overall, the fourth
effort from the Nevada
blah-rock quartet is a
numbingly predictable ode
to relationships, nostalgia,
and a new genre that I’ve
dubbed “narrative rock.”
Stay tuned! Soon I'll be

rock lyric generator and
then anyone can write
songs about driving their
motorcycle/car/Segway
to the bowling alley / dance
club/ abattoir and falling
in love with a guy/gal/
embalmed horse.

All jokes aside, if you
like The Killers you'll
like this album, including
standout tracks like
the album’s first single,
“Runaway,” and the
surprisingly good “Miss
Atomic Bomb.”

releasing an online narrative

pooooooooeos

 

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Meet me at Mirage Rock

= By Sophie Isbister,

~ Contributor

OOOO

irage Rock, the

fourth album
from sometimes-rock,
sometimes-alt country
group Band of Horses, hits
shelves on September 18,
and the album opens with
| abang. Actually, it opens
with a “WOOHOOO!”
on unabashedly rock n’
roll opening track “Knock
Knock.”

Despite it feeling like a

bit of a mixed bag, I really

66

enjoyed the album. There’s
a bit of twang (with lyrics
like “Guess what? I’ve lost
my job. It’s just my luck”
on second track “How To
Live”), a bit of crooning
(most notable on track 10,
“Long Vows,” where Ben

Bridwell’s vocals are so
reminiscent of Neil Young
that I actually thought for
a moment I was listening
to the wrong album), and
a hefty helping of solid
lyricism (especially on
the clean-sounding ode to

Mirage Rock has something for everyone, provided
everyone likes either rock or alt country.

freedom, “Electric Music”).
Then you have tracks
like “Dumpster World,”
which has you thinking
it’s a country ballad until
it completely switches
directions 30 seconds in.
Mirage Rock has

something for everyone,
provided everyone likes
either rock or alt country.
And isn’t that how it
should be? I know I'll be
playing “Heartbreak 101”
on repeat as I cry into my
red wine tonight.

 

 

Get comfortable with

By Lauren Paulsen,
Contributor

R= Murphy’s got a
number of hit shows
under his belt, but he

is perhaps best known

for creating the popular
dramedy Glee. The latest
show Murphy’s added to
his creative resume is a
new comedy entitled The
New Normal, which had its

6

 

Ryan Murphy

premiere last Monday.
The New Normal stars

Andrew Rannells and Justin

‘The New

Bartha as Bryan and David,
a gay couple that wishes to
have a baby of their own.
In comes Goldie (played
by Georgia King), a single
mother who had her first
born at the young age of 15.
After finding her husband
in bed with another man,
Goldie decides to change
her and her child’s life for
the better, which of course
requires some money.

She decides to become a
surrogate, and thus meets
Bryan and David. Add in

Normal’

Goldie’s not-so-secretly
homophobic ‘nanny from
hell,’ Jane (played by Ellen
Barkin), and you’ve got an

interesting cast of characters.

The idea behind The
New Normal is definitely
an intriguing one, and I’m
already interested in seeing
where the plot goes. Some
of the pilot fell flat in its
writing, and there were
several moments where it
felt as though the camera
was shooting the series like
a reality show, but the pilot

remained solid throughout.
A show like this has of
course received controversy
from conservative groups,
such as One Million Moms,
but what can you do; there
will always be people trying
to rain on your parade.
Regardless, I think
The New Normal’s view on
the troubles gay couples
encounter is an interesting
topic, and I will be keeping
my eye on this one to see
how it turns out.