* RECS OF THE MONTH *
* RECS OF THE MONTH *
DECEMBER
ANTS FROM UP THERE (2022)
BLACK COUNTRY, NEW ROAD
I still mourn Isaac Wood’s departure from BCNR, which admittedly is a bit dramatic and disparaging of their following album Forever Howlong (which I love). His combo of neurotic, self-destructive lyricism and unstable crooning really directed the ship in moody waters, only made possible by the band’s mastery of practically any instrument they can get their hands on. Many a fan give Basketball Shoes its flowers, a 12 minute and 37 second sonic snowball that crashes with extreme prejudice and euphoria; It’s a fucking masterpiece and quite easily one of the greatest closers to an album. And it only reaches this high because of bops like Chaos Space Marine or Good Will Hunting, with all their eclectic rhythms and hopeless romanticism, its almost therapeutic to hear this shit. Even instrumental cuts like Mark’s Theme add to the thick and rich tapestry the band weaves throughout the record. And of course, I would be remiss not to talk about The Place Where He Inserted the Blade. Jesus Christ. Obviously it’s the cut everybody knows and thinks when bringing up BCNR, and justifiably so. I don’t think I’ve ever heard something so sentimental and nostalgic and cheery and painful, just seconds away from bursting at the seams and disappearing into the void. I will uphold TPWHITB’s supremecy until I perish. It is the song that centers and grounds what could be a once-in-a-band’s-lifetime type of experience. I mean I sure as shit hope not. I’m rooting for ya BCNR. You too Isaac, wherever you are.
Good Will Hunting (1997)
Dir. Gus Van Sant
A classic. That’s about it. Thanks for stoppin’ by.
Ok fine [insert name here], if you insist. When I choose these stupid little recommendations, I pair a film and album that share a theme or ~vibe~. And in this case, the album has a song that makes reference to a film, well maybe more than a reference. This film, and the aforementioned Ants From Up There, address the difficulty in forgiving one’s self, being your own greatest enemy, and believing that you deserve so much less than the people you meet. Just all the self-destructive mechanisms we possess and try to fight on a daily basis, you get it. Usually narratives like these have an arc where the character reaches a point where they do forgive themselves and actualize parts of them long neglected, but that doesn’t really happen here, not exactly. We are aware of where we arrive short, and sometimes we’re so used to it that even in the scenarios where it will likely hurt those closest to us, we opt to partake in behavior that is “normal,” rather than challenge it. There is no happy ending or solution, instead, there’s just the moment we decide to challenge the way we think and the hope that comes with it. I’ve struggled with a lot of these feelings and I’ve wasted another year stuck on the same puzzles. Maybe next year I’ll figure out how to stop being this coward.
Also, most of the people in this movie are painfully fuckable.