I Listened to The End of the Beginning by Les Friction

Like anyone, I love a good story. But today I’m talking about music, or more specifically: Les Friction’s recent album, The End of The Beginning. If you check out Lesfriction.com you’ll see how this newer release’s story ties into Les Friction and Dark Matter.

Plot aside, The End of the Beginning is still in line with Les Friction’s sound, but a little more on the mellow end. However, that could just be me. Of course, there’s still the emotional, powerful, and buildup songs. All That Mattered (featuring Emily Valentine), The End of the Beginning, and Game Ender respectively, to name a few.

Above all, I thought The End of the Beginning had an otherworldly, ethereal flair about it. And I enjoyed all the sounds and melodies that came along with it. In the end, I really liked this one.

 

I Listened to Dawn FM by The Weeknd

I’ve listened to The Weeknd on and off over the years. I’ve certainly had my favorite songs. With the release of Star Boy (2016), I started following his music more closely. I enjoyed that album, especially for the collaboration with Daft Punk. After Hours (2020) produced some of my favorite tracks: Blinding Lights, Save Your Tears, Too Late, Hardest To Love, the titular After Hours, etc. It felt reflective, and it was also a tonal shift.

I finally got around to listening to The Weeknd’s 2022 album, Dawn FM. There are no words to describe how much I’ve been enjoying it. I’ve replayed it in full too many times to count, before I finally decided to dedicate a post to it.

The Weeknd does retro pop so well, and each track was precise in its messaging and consistently good in its lyrics and backtracks. All the hallmarks of dance and synth were present, but the album excels at feeling fresh and current. I really can’t name a single song that’s greater than the other, because Dawn FM was just one of those albums where I enjoy every track on its list.

I loved the concept here, as well as the delivery. It was styled after the experience of listening to the radio. Jim Carrey narrates the album, acting as a guide through The Weeknd’s version of purgatory. And the dark imagery I’ve come to associate with his style was present in the music videos that were released in support of Dawn FM.

All that to say: Dawn FM is one of my favorite albums of 2022.

I Listened to Hypnos by Ravyn Lenae

Crush EP is one of my all-time favorites. I enjoyed it for how well it took classic R&B with a splash of disco and synth sounds, and gave them a fresh spin. I’ve been waiting for more music by this artist too, and yet I somehow missed the announcement for Ravyn Lenae’s debut album, Hypnos.

Crush left a big impression. As I said above, it’s one of my favorite Eps, and what it lacked in length it more than made up for in quality. With a tracklist sitting at sixteen songs, Hypnos is a much bigger offering of Lenae’s artistry. It’s thoroughly entrenched in R&B with the same soft and soulful edge that I was first introduced to in Crush. As far as debut albums go, Hypnos is one of the best.

Hypnos is an album that’s arranged well, and I’d suggest listening to it in the order of its tracklist. The intro, Cameo, is short and to the point. M.I.A. feels a little like it was influenced by dancehall music. And while some of the middle section dips into a slightly mellower tone, it picks up again as the album moves toward the closing, Wish.

All-in-all, Hypnos was a solid album.

I Listened to Harry's House by Harry Styles

Its only recently that I started listening to Harry Styles’ solo music (thanks Coachella livestream), but I’ve enjoyed everything I’ve put on my playlist so far. So I was pretty excited when I learned that Harry Styles was releasing a new album not too long after that.

I waited up for Harry’s House, and I listened to it in one sitting. Some parts can feel mellow, but I actually like Styles’ slower songs. For the most part, there’s something that feels effortlessly bright, summery, and catchy about this album; which I appreciated so much. Even what I thought would be the simplest songs, instead offered a lot of good beats and lyrics to explore.

Music For a Sushi Restaurant is light and fun, as well as the perfect hook that offered an entry to the tone of the rest of the songs. The album’s single, As It Was, is already familiar (and its still one of my personal favorites). But there’s plenty more to latch onto. Some of my other favorite tracks included Cinema, Keep Driving, and Satellite. While Love of My Life offered a truly memorable and excellent closing note.

Harry’s House is definitely one of my top favorite albums of 2022 so far.

I Played Horizon: Forbidden West

Title: Horizon: Forbidden West
Developer/Publisher: Guerrilla Games; Sony Interactive Entertainment
Release Date: February 18 2022
Platform: PS4 / PS5
Source/ format: Purchased, Disc
Other: Played on PS4

What I Thought:

I tried my best to keep this review vague, but there may be minor spoilers since I talk about specific parts of gameplay. 

I played Horizon: Forbidden West. Some of  what I said and felt in my review for Zero Dawn applies here, but it's done even better. All of this culminated to an enjoyable and dynamic playing experience.

The main plot was a wild ride with many expected and some unexpected twists. Needless to say, I’m glad that it didn’t hesitate to go in a more fantastical direction. Plot aside, like Zero Dawn, the side missions colored and expanded on the world, environments, and the plethora of characters both new and old. Each character felt super individualistic in their personality and in the way they spoke, moved, etc. Besides Aloy's interactions with different characters, it was nice being able to hear more of her personal feelings via periodically examining objects. Also nice was seeing more self realization developments for Aloy, especially by the end. The environments were straight up gorgeous, colorful, and felt broader. Finally, I have to mention Cauldrons. I enjoyed playing through them since, in a way, they seemed darker and more menacing. It's the same ambience I loved from the Frozen Wilds DLC.

To list my favorite new additions: the weapons (especially Spike Throwers),  different ways to get collectables, the ability to climb in countless areas, face paints, and armor dyes. Then there were others like a board game (Strike), racing, Melee Pits, additional mounts, and swimming. Swimming, sadly, ended up being frustrating during one of my favorite main missions. It felt a little awkward at times, even later when it was a lot easier. I enjoyed the added complexity to some of the puzzles like the Relic Ruins that used multiple Datapoints. Or how Tallnecks take additional and varied steps before being able to override them. The custom difficulty –where players can adjust a handful of options like the damage Aloy deals to or is dealt to for a truly customized experience. Last but not least, my absolute favorite and most important on my list –that I didn’t know I wanted –is none other than the Infinite Stash! With the Workbench based crafting system, it worked out great. Though, I definitely had to get in the habit of stopping by a bench to find out what was required for said upgrades.

My less enjoyed parts were mainly the later Melee Pits and combo chaining. The earlier ones, as well as the Pit Master and Enduring, were fine. But the instructions for the advanced combos weren’t as clear. After figuring those out, I then had to face the timing.  With that being said, I appreciated the combos in that they added more variety rather than a plain heavy or light attack.

Well, I loved how vibrant it got at times. And something I forgot to mention was, after going back to Zero Dawn, the controls felt smoother. Honestly, I want to see more. Overall, I had a swell time playing.

Thanks for reading.

I Listened to Serpentina by Banks

 

Serpentina is Banks’s highly anticipated fourth studio album. It was certainly one of my most anticipated albums of the year.

The overall feel is a lot different from The Altar (2016) and III (2019). Even so, it’s very much a “Banks” album in all the best ways, with a lot of synth effects, auto-tune, and some experimentation—it’s a blend of genres—but the beats are catchy. They have a certain moody and atmospheric edge that works well with Banks’s vocals, which I’ve come to expect and appreciate. And when it delivers, it delivers.

The lyrics are just excellent. I expected nothing less, but even then I underestimated it. There were way too many lines that I wanted to quote. Some of my favorites come from the songs Skinnydipped, Meteorite, Holding Back, and Birds by the Sea. But, all of the tracks are a solid offering, and it’s hard to choose any one song that stands out as a top favorite when they’re all so good.

Overall, Serpentina has quickly become a favorite. And so far, I’m having a great time listening to it on repeat.

I Listened to Crash by Charli XCX

 

Charlie XCX is one of those artists where I know that whatever they put out, it’s probably going to be a good listening experience. With features including Rina Sawayama, Christina and the Queens, and Caroline Polachek, Crash—Charli XCX’s 2022 album—finds it stride and keeps it as it bops along to beats that can feel somewhat familiar without losing the edge that makes them enjoyable. 

Crash feels like a love letter to Pop and Electro-Pop, reminding me of some hits from the early 2000s. But Charli XCX puts enough of a spin to these sounds that makes the album current while it visits the past. It was a good combination, and it suited the vocals and lyrics.

The titular Crash drops right into the album, while Twice closes out the track list on a memorable note. Some of my favorite songs include Yuck, Lightning, and Beg For You featuring Rina Sawayama. Overall though, I really liked what Crash offered, and I know I’ll have this album on repeat for a while.

Thought Corner: What I've Been Watching

 

It’s already April, so I thought it was time to talk about some of the shows and movies I’ve been watching in the first part of 2022. 

• Encanto

I finally saw Encanto. This movie was fantastic, and the music was great. I could go on and on about the characters and the themes, but this film is so fun to watch. And if you haven’t seen it, I don’t want to accidently spoil it.

• Erax (Netflix short film)

Erax is a short supernatural/horror film about a girl, her aunt, and a magical book. Given how short this was (at just 15 minutes long), I was interested to see what they would do with the concept under such constraints. The Erax were suitable troublemakers who posed somewhat of a threat. There was a race-against-time component, which kicked the tension up a notch as the proverbial ticking-clock rushed toward its end time. I liked the casting choices, as well as the monster design.

• Abbot Elementary

What can I even say about Abbott Elementary that hasn’t already been said? It’s such a great and enjoyable series. It’s funny too, and there’s always a moment in every episode that makes me laugh.

• The Matrix (1999)

After so many years, I finally rewatched The Matrix. I can’t believe I forgot how good the movie was. But there’s something about some classic sci-fi films (like E.T., Logan’s Run, and the original Star Wars trilogy) that makes rewatching them appealing. There’s always some detail that I missed during my initial viewing that I noticed the second time around.

• The Adam Project (Netflix)

Next, I checked out one of Netflix’s new films: The Adam Project. I like fun sci-fi films, and The Adam Project falls into that category. There’s a lot of future tech, flashy action scenes, and a hefty dose of time travel combined with endearing characters and a dash of topics such as bullying, growing up, and unexpected change. It was a race against time (literally), as well as the kind of story that featured a cat-and-mouse type chase. It was both heartwarming and an exciting action flick.

• The Cuphead Show! (Netflix)

One of my most anticipated animated shows of the year was Netflix’s adaptation of the 2017 game, Cuphead. This show was delightful. I’m glad they kept the look of the game, while adapting the location, some of the story, and the characters for the series. The episodes were on the shorter side and episodic in nature with some overarching plot points, which reminded me of old cartoons. I really enjoyed how stylistic it was, as well as the performances by the voice actors. I’m looking forward to the next season.

What shows or movies have you recently watched? If you have any recommendations, leave them in the comments. 

Upcoming Music I'm Waiting For Part 2 (2022)

Since its March (already three months into 2022), I thought I would revisit the subject of upcoming music. Some more stuff has been announced, and a couple of the albums I’m very excited for.  

Today is also the 15th of March, which is Our Thoughts Precisely's blogiversary. The blog is officially 9 years old! I never have anything specifically planned for this day, but I thought I would mention it here. Thanks again to all the people who have stopped by, read our posts, and left blog comments. 

Now, onto the list....

 

• Serpentina by Banks (April 8, 2022): Recently, there has been a trickle of singles coming out from Banks. Serpentina has finally been announced, and I like what I’ve heard so far. So I’m very excited to see what’s in store from the follow-up to 2019’s III.

• Back From the Dead by Halestorm (May 6, 2022): It’s been a while since I regularly followed Halestorm’s music, but I’m anticipating their next album, Back From the Dead.
• Explosions by Three Days Grace (May 6, 2022): Three Days Grace was a band I used to listen to when I was younger. I’ve been listening to some of their recent stuff, and I’m excited for this album.
• Palaces by Flume (Mary 20, 2022): I liked Flume’s 2016 album, Skin, so I had to add Palaces to this list.
• Other albums with limited information (TBA; To Be Announced): Saweetie, Rina Sawayama, Kimbra, Cardi B.

That’s it for now. As always, my lists are ever changing. So who knows, maybe there will be part three of "upcoming music I’m waiting for" later in the year. We’ll see.

What upcoming albums are you waiting for?

I Listened to Motordrome by MØ

 

It’s been a while since MØ’s last album (Forever Neverland came out in 2018). So, another one of my most anticipated albums of the first part of 2022 was Motordrome. I didn’t closely follow the singles leading up to the January 28th release date, but I was still eager to dive into this album.

Motordrome is MØ’s third studio album. There were no features, but honestly it wasn’t needed. Motordrome was a solid foray into pop music, with touches of electronic and a few beats that felt like a brief reference to the sound of MØ’s first studio album, No Mythologies to Follow. It was so good. Some of my favorites included Live to Survive, Wheelspin, New Moon, Goosebumps, and Hip Bones.

Don’t get me wrong though, Motordrome is its own thing. MØ clearly had something to say, and the album feels as if it’s telling a story to its listeners and is, overall, carried by a different tone in a lot of aspects. It was still markedly a MØ album, and there was a lot to enjoy about Motordrome.

I Listened to The Gods We Can Touch by Aurora

A lot of good music came out in January of this year. First with FKA Twigs’s mixtape, Caprisongs, and now with Aurora’s album: The Gods We Can Touch. 

With Aurora, I already guessed that the album would be thematic, and I was right. The six singles—Cure For Me, Giving In To The Love, Exist for Love, Heathens, A Dangerous Thing, and Everything Matters featuring Pomme—offered a taste of the tone of the album, and the title paints a pretty clear picture of what to expect.

The Gods We Can Touch was emotional and topical, but ultimately it was lighter and different than some of Aurora’s previous music. It felt a lot more experimental and upbeat, bringing in notes of electro-pop without losing the ethereal/dreamy nature adjacent quality that I liked about Aurora’s backlist tracks. Some of my favorites from this particular album include: Cure For Me, Blood Like Wine, Exhale Inhale, and A Dangerous Thing.

In some ways, it reminded me of Halsey’s 2021 album: If I can’t Have Love, I Want Power. They both have historical and mythology references, but the albums go about the presentation of themes in a way unique to the respective artist.

So, The Gods We Can Touch was one of my most anticipated albums of 2022. My expectations were sky high, considering how good the singles preceding its release were. Overall, this was a great album, and I’m looking forward to Aurora’s next project.

I Listened to Pop?, Rap?, and R&B? by Tierra Whack

Welcome to the first “I Listened To” post of 2022. Today, I’m going to delve into my thoughts about Tierra Whack’s most recent music, a series of Eps with three songs each that were released in December 2021. They’re called Rap?, Pop?, and R&B?. 

Tierra Whack is one of those artists that I return to time and time again. Her music is always so creative, and her vocals are a distinctive part of what makes her work so memorable. So once I started listening to the Eps, I went through all three in one sitting.

Rap?, Pop?, and R&B? have all the characteristics—in sound and stylish vibe—of what I’ve come to expect from Whack’s music. Here though, that sound was mixed with the influence of the genre associated with the Ep titles. Some of my top favorite songs from them include: Millions, Stand Up, Body of Water, and Heaven.

All in all, in terms of music, this was a great way to start the year. And I’m excited to see what the rest of 2022 has in store.

 

Favorite Recipe: Homemade Soft Pretzels

 

It’s been a long time since I last talked about what I’ve been cooking or baking on the blog. However, I had to dust off the Favorite Recipe post graphic for this. I finally tried making homemade soft pretzels again, and I found a recipe that’s super simple and tastes great.

The recipe: Easy Homemade Soft Pretzels from Sally’s Baking Addiction

The first time I ever tried to make homemade soft pretzels, it didn’t turn out so great. It was years ago, and I was trying a different recipe that I don’t even remember now. The dough didn’t come out right, it was tough to shape, and something was off with the flavor and texture after the baking soda bath + baking.

Fast forward to the end of October 2021, and I had a craving for soft pretzels and wanted to try my hand at making them again. So I did some searching, and I came across the recipe from Sally’s Baking Addiction. I gave it a try, and it was easy to make. Before writing up my experience making them, I did two batches on separate days. The first try, I didn’t get the process pictures. So of course I had to make them again!

It’s incredibly simple to make these—few ingredients, short resting time, clear measurements. The dough was simple to mix up and easily shaped. Nothing stuck when I moved on to the boiling, and they baked in 12 minutes once in the oven. They not only smelled like pretzels, but they tasted like them with the texture I was looking for.

I followed the recipe exactly, except for the type of salt I sprinkled on top before baking. I used table salt instead, because I didn’t have fine sea salt on hand. They still tasted great anyway. But you can definitely go with the coarse kind, since it’s standard for soft pretzels.

Overall, this is a great recipe, and I know I will make these again in the near future. Have you made homemade soft pretzels before?

[**Note: photos include (1) the dough after it rested for 10 minutes, (2) the shaped pretzels in the baking soda bath, (3) the pretzels after they were boiled and dusted with salt, and (4) the baked pretzels.**]

I Listened to Mercurial World by Magdalena Bay

Magdalena Bay’s Mercurial World was one of the three albums I was waiting for in October. I first listened to their music during the summer—I even did a post about going through their backlist songs HERE—and since then I have been waiting for their album. And it didn’t disappoint.

Mercurial World is one of my favorite albums of the year, and it surprised me in all the right ways. And that’s saying something because my hopes were so high for it. Mercurial World has the feel and sound of Magdalena Bay’s music that I’ve come to expect—that distinctive style that blends synth, electronic, and pop—which I loved. The transition between the songs was near seamless, and the overall listening experience was great with how easily the album flowed from one song to the next. It felt like it was over too soon, but it was longer than Mini Mix vol.1 and vol. 2. I’ve already replayed Mercurial World several times since its release.

Each song felt very individual, but as I mentioned above, there was a distinct sound that made it part of the whole picture. The singles Chaeri, You Lose!, and Secrets (Your Fire) are already recognizable—I even picked Chaeri for a Music Monday post a while ago HERE. Some of my other favorite songs, in no particular order, include: Dreamcatching, Mercurial World, Prophecy, Follow the Leader, Domino, and The Beginning.

All-in-all, Mercurial World was an incredibly strong debut album.

Thought Corner: Halloween Art #2

Breana’s comments: Hello, hi, and welcome to the second and last part of the ultra-mini art challenge Adri and I are doing in the month of October. It’s also the 31st. So, Happy Halloween! I hope everyone has a good day, and now on to today’s theme.

Today’s prompt: Pumpkin (or Jack-O-Lantern), jelly bean, and or sour gummy worm dinner

Breana’s comments: I knew what I wanted to do the second we decided on this one. My inspiration for it was a steak dinner. I wanted to incorporate all three options onto the platter. My two favorite shades of blue colored pencils also make an appearance on this one.

Adri’s comments:

I think I was hungry when we did this one. My first thought was stuffed bell peppers and canned cranberry sauce. So, for dinner I chose Jelly bean stuffed pumpkin with a side of gummy worms and sour gummy worm sauce. I wanted this to be murkier and somewhat moody, so I planned to mix colors with gray. But, in the end, I ended up with something brighter. And yes, more gold acrylic.