New Reviews
by Sterling Preston
BOOK REVIEW:
Star-Crossed, by Linda Collison (Knopf)
http://www.myspace.com/lindacollison
When Patricia Kelley stows away on a ship bound for Barbados, she plans to claim her father’s estate there. Her native Britain is at war with France, and the merchant ship she hides on has been contracted by the British government to deliver munitions. But Patricia is not interested in politics; she only wants to reach the Caribbean isles and live her life in peace.
She catches a ride out to the ship with a group of prostitutes the night before it sails. Taking advantage of the fact that the sailors are drunk, she avoids molestation and sneaks away to a hiding place to settle in for the voyage. Of course it is only a matter of time before she is found and is subjected to a series of adventures.
By day she works in indentured servitude to the ship’s surgeon – certainly a light sentence for a stowaway – but by night she chases spiritual freedom and learns the ways of the ship.
Romance and adventure at sea are subject matter ripe with opportunity, and author Linda Collison mines them well. With the issue of sex never quite treated graphically, this historical novel could be a popular choice for both young and old readers alike.
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MOVIE REVIEW:
Mama and Damian (Trinka Five Films)
The characters in this full-length feature are a bizarre lot. Mama, an S&M mother, has a part-bear/part-boy child named Damian. She also keeps a live-in gentleman drunk boyfriend, whose decadent nephew (channeling Philip Seymour Hoffman) has come for a visit. There’s a Nazi grandfather who lives in the basement, a trailer-trash family who lives “in the backyard,” and the children are treated to cookies and beer after school. This absurd, cult-ish comedy ultimately seems to be telling a story about relationships and coming of age. I particularly enjoyed the scene in which Mama throws her boyfriend out of the house. At this writing, you can order your own autographed DVD for $20 from the website. [http://www.trinkafivefilms.com] SP
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CD REVIEWS:
Or, The Whale Light Poles and Pines
This debut album is a strong contender for the cd rotation during your next road trip through endless stretches of Americana. Like any co-ed ensemble worthy of your stereo, Or, the Whale make it sound so natural and easy that you can’t help but think of how much fun it must be to be in their band. Hailing from San Francisco, they play roots-style country with a Pacific Northwest spirit of creativity. They sound educated without being pretentious, and their music is more likely a fit to the taste of the indie kids and 30-something coffee house crowd than to the true shit kickers out in Alabama or wherever. But then again, sneak it into a backwoods jukebox somewhere and you never know what might happen. As always, check out sample tracks available on their website or MySpace. “Saint Bernard” is definitely going to stay in my songs-to-listen-to-while-drinking collection for awhile. [http://www.myspace.com/orthewhale, http://www.orthewhale.com] SP
Harpies Lily Wry
Oh yes! Fans of My Ruin, your day has come again. Well, minus the extra-gothic spoken word bits. Harpies front woman Nicola Honey alternates between singing melodies and screaming her voice box raw in a band that flawlessly executes the British metal sound. The cover art and publicity material touch on the theme of ocean-derived inspiration, but you can forget all that. Just turn it up loud and drown the pain. [http://www.myspace.com/harpies] SP
Sound of the Blue Heart Beauty?. . .
Any artist that remotely lays down a Leonard Cohen vibe – like this one does on the first track – has my immediate attention, but I hesitate to mention it here. I don’t want a cheap comparison to take away from your enjoyment of this album, and as we all know there is no one who does Cohen better than Cohen himself. But Johnny Indovina, former front man of an impressive band called Human Drama (they’re quite interesting – check them you on YouTube if you like darkwave-ish music), has put out a solid record that is really, ultimately, a lullaby. The message I got out of it? Life is what it is, it teaches you what it teaches you, and it’s okay. Just keep your way and sleep easy now. [http://www.soundoftheblueheart.com] SP
MariJane Miracle La Vie Est Dure!
Here’s a French experimental-electronic duo to check out. With tracks ranging from danceable to downright strange, vocalist Marie-Anne and her music-man Franck Sinistra are a band with a message. Unfortunately, I don’t speak French so I’m not sure what the message is. [http://www.marijane.fr] SP