CULTURAL BUZZ ASTROWORLD
Face Mask
Paradise PD
“ASTROWORLD,” Travis Scott’s third studio album, was released on Aug 30. Despite its 17-track length, it leaves a lot to be desired. The album will resonate with fans of Scott. It has a familiar electronic and autotuned feel. However, as the tracks continue, the sound feels overdone. The album’s biggest weakness is Scott, himself. It is plagued with seemingly random and unmelodic interjections of his voice. Scott’s solos feel random and his lack of rhyme or reason is irritating and repetitive. This is particularly present in “SICKO MODE” where Drake’s soothing vocals are interrupted by an annoying repetitive beat and over-autotuned voice. Though Scott’s solos are disappointing, the features on the album are incredible, with Frank Ocean, The Weeknd, 21 Savage and others teaming up for amazing songs such as “YOSEMITE” and “NC-17.”
Urban Outfitters’ classic TONYMOLY I’m Real brightening sheet mask is a joke. The mask claims to calm and brighten skin with enriching ingredients. However, the main ingredients are water, alcohol and vitamins, making it a total hoodwink. Its directions are simple: remove the mask from the packaging and apply it, then leave on for 20 to 30 minutes. The mask may be bad for users with sensitive skin, causing an unpleasant stinging feeling. The aesthetically-pleasing packaging leads users to believe that it the mask is of better quality, but it is clear that the mask is only sold to fit in with the Urban Outfitters aesthetic. This three-dollar mask tricks the buyer into thinking that they are getting a deal when, in reality, the mask is just a good-smelling sheet of paper. Users should not invest in this product or any variations of it.
The first season of the new Netflix animated comedy series, “Paradise PD,” was released on Aug. 31. The show’s first season, consisting of 10 episodes, revolves around Police Chief Randall Crawford (voiced by Tom Kenny) following his son, Kevin Crawford, who joins the police force. This show is very similar to shows like “Family Guy” and “American Dad,” with crude humor and explicit language. Jokes include blood, gore and stereotypes, and the humor shows little compassion to characters. It also brings a comedic light on being police officer. There is very little character development outside the Crawford family, and the entire cast plays off of each other’s jokes with a minimal plotline. Despite these holes, “Paradise PD” has almost everything one looks for in an adult comedy cartoon.
-- Owen Donelly, Web Master
--Ava Adamson, Viewpoints Staffer
--AJ Carr, Sports Staffer
Big Red Machine
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eleased on Aug. 31, the album “Big Red Machine” is a collaboration of Bon Iver frontman Justin Vernon and The National’s songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Aaron Dessner. The album is sure to meet the expectations of fans of both artists, but never quite lives up to be more than the sum of its parts. With Bon Iver’s most recent studio album “22, A Million,” frontman Vernon threw the grandiose soundscapes and acoustic ballads of his previous work out of the window for tracks that lacked conventional song structure, boundary-pushing production and vocal performance. With “Big Red Machine,” however, Vernon delivers a decent, but not memorable album that never clicks like it should. The titular band’s self-titled album is filled with tracks that lack a clear melody or pattern. Songs like “Lyla” feel like they are being built as the audience listens, with layers and backing melodies that fade in and out in a sometimes abrasive, but interesting manner. Vernon takes production notes from his frequent collaborator Kanye West and uses his and others’ voices as instruments. Despite the interesting production, the album sounds like it could be a collection of B-sides from “22, A Million”, and the influence of Dessner is not always heard. Using Dessner’s sound would have helped the album really carve out its own sound, because the songs on “Big Red Machine” are pale in comparison to the masterpieces on “22, A Million” and sound far too similar to not be compared. Despite some standout tracks like “I Won’t Run From It” and “Lyla,” the album is relatively forgettable. “Big Red Machine” is only good enough to tide Bon Iver and The National fans over until each band’s next release. O
By CONNOR McCAGE Viewpoints Editor
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