1. family and parenting
2. children

Ramblings
Issue four
December 2013
© ramblingsmagazine, 2013
Contents:
Page 3: Editor’s letter.
Page 4: Features, interview with Jesse’s Divide.
Page 12: Features, interview with author Stuart Green.
Page 15: Film reviews, by Liz Kennedy & Chris Straughan.
Page 19: Music reviews, by Chris Straughan & Kieran Walker.
Page 23: Fiction.
Page 27: Literature reviews, by Bex Gawne.
Page 30: Photography.
Page 36: Contact.
The Team
Liz Kennedy: Editor & Fiction writer.
Tim Elsy: Film Contributor.
Christ Straughan: Music Contributor.
Kieran Walker: Music Contributor.
Lydia Wagster: Fiction Writer.
Bex Gawne: Literature Contributor.
Jessica Flavin: Photography Contributor.
Editor’s LEttEr
Ho, Ho, Ho…
Hello all,
Well it's December yet again, where everything is a mad rush
and you either are in the Christmas spirit, you're not, or it
just comes in waves. I miss being a kid when this time was
magical, and you'd be dead excited for Father Christmas to
land on your roof and leave you loads of presents! How
gullible are children, ey?
Well, this month we have some treats for you! In features with
have an interview with Jesse's Divide by Chris Straughan, and
also with Stuart Green on his book 'The Tale of Ava-Marie
Swanson', which is a children's book on dealing with terminal
illness. Bex has shared her thoughts on some books she's been
reading in literature, and Jess has shared some gorgeous
photography of her recent trip to Poland. Chris and I have
covered film reviews this month, as Tim has been off traveling
(lucky git!)But Tim still has contributed by having a go and
some fiction, which can be found alongside a lovely little
tale by Lydia Wagster.
I hope you enjoy this months content, we've all been working
really hard to bring this to you. As usual, thanks for
reading, and I hope you all have a great Christmas and New
Year!
Much Love,
Liz Kennedy
Features
A cALLing….
Chris Straughan talks to Jesse's Divide about their upcoming
album...
Some people search for years to find what it is exactly that
they see to be their calling in life. Having that sudden
realisation that your exactly who you’re supposed to be, doing
exactly what you’re supposed to be doing. For me, this
realisation came at the debut Jesse’s Divide gig, the moment
they hit the stage to a congregation of adoring fans, before
they had even struck a chord musically they had struck a chord
within me that it was these guys who were destined to redefine
music, not quite Wyld Stallyn level of redefining, but still
pretty close! [If you don’t understand that reference then I
wouldn’t even bother reading on!] This gig went on to be the
first of many that simply did nothing more than verify my
beliefs and set my path of life in stone, it was these very
individuals I was set to work with and almost certainly bound
to set the world ablaze. During the past couple of months, the
band have locked themselves away and tinkered and chipped away
at recording their debut album, a collection of the material
they have written from their inception to this very day, and
before you think that such an album wouldn’t be coherent,
think again as this month I sat down and spoke with Si, Nick
and Rob about their influences, the album, the issues
surrounding its recording and black forest gateaux. Sat in a
chilly studio on this wintery November evening, I have sat
before me the very individuals that make up Jesse’s Divide,
Simon Ward, Vocalist and Sole Guitarist for the band, Nick
Cotton, Bassist, Backing Vocalist and Synth Infuser, and Rob
Barnes, Drummer and backing Vocalist. Three young men who have
gathered experience in the musical domain that will ensure
their survival in a world where ignorance is not blissful.
You formed the band from the ashes of old in 2012, what makes
this band different from your previous projects?
Rob: There's definitely more facial hair in this band.
Nick: There is! We’ve got less of a Classic Rock vibe and more
a progressive Metal vibe in this one.
Si: We are not stuck to a formula or structure.
Nick: Exactly! We're writing what feels right that day.
Rob: This is far more of a free experience of us writing how
we write rather than writing to fit into something else.
You began recording your debut album recently, but you’ve had
some issues, care to explain what’s gone wrong?
Si: I'll tell you! The files were absorbed by a wizard! They
were! It's true!
Nick: Yeah, it may as well be.
Si: There is obviously a magnetic field surrounding Happy
Ninja Media in this building and it’s like Ghostbusters HQ in
the first Ghostbusters, and it ain’t good ya know and anyway
they zapped all our time coding. Yeah we lost all the f**king
work! Three month’s worth of recording and lost it all, and it
wasn’t for any of our faults even.
Nick: The thing is it wasn't even lost, as if it were wiped.
Will this mean an alternate track list as opposed to what was
originally planned or will the “songs remain the same” so to
speak?
Rob: There will likely be more songs on the album.
Nick: I definitely think we should throw down the ones we've
written this week.
Rob: Even if they don't end up on this album, they will be
recorded definitely.
Si: The album was good, but we penned 14 and only 11 or 12 at
the most came out and that still wasn't enough to fill the CD,
we will definitely fill a CD.
Rob: I think we will do it where we play it all together and
get how we play.
Nick: Get a vibe.
Rob: So one, it will be quicker,and two, it will sound more
like us.
Si: We’ve never recorded that way professionally and I’m
really eager to do it, but the best thing is we’ve got about
three or four weeks before Happy Ninja moves and it’s almost
Christmas, we’ve got one more gig and we are all chilling a
little more, so this will be our most creative point this year
because we won’t expect the ideas to come, that’s how it
started in the beginning, we would have “Malibu Tuesdays” and
magic happened, and hopefully the same will happen again
because we are all in a relaxed state, although we were very
angry at first, but to be fair, we are quite calm gentleman,
none of us raised fists or lashed out spells of cheese ya
know? We were quite alright.
Nick: Lashed out spells of cheese?
Rob: I think that might have been a Skyrim reference.
Nick: Ah, carry on.
Is there a concept to the album? Or is it merely a coherent
collection of the material you’ve written up to now?
Si: Oh no, but
because we try
we all work is
specific…and I
everything.
everything is going to link in together,
and keep it as open as possible, the way that
that it all links down to something
don’t wanna say it because it will ruin
Nick: No, we’ve got a definite vision for this first album,
all the songs tie together, none of them were written in an
order but when you tie them together in a certain way it tells
a story and that’s what’s going on with this first album so
it’s a collection of songs that accidentally work together as
a concept, so we are happy with that.
Si: But from that we got the album artwork and the next album
concept.
Rob: All will be revealed with the album artwork and it will
be spot on.
Si: That's what gets us more excited though is knowing that
it's got a story, there's a story here ya know? You listen to
the album and its like reading a book.
Rob: What I would really like to do with this one is like when
people used to have LP covers, and they had something to read
and something to hold, I’d love it to be that you sat there
looking at the artwork and hearing what we were doing and
thinking about how that fits into that world that we have kind
of envisioned it in.
Si: Nick said the other day that this is probably the first
time ever, I don’t know for how many other bands this is, but
that because we’ve lost everything that we’ve just done, we’ve
actually got all the album artwork, the concept and the press
pack all sorted before any of the tracks are recorded.
Rob: We are back to the future!
Nick: Interview over! You don't need any more than that!
You’ve also took it upon yourselves to guide and aid new bands
in the area with Happy Ninja Media, what brought this about?
Si: I will say that I think it came naturally for us to do it,
we didn’t intend to do that we just wanted a place for us all
to play, a place where we could stay cheap you know equivalent
to renting a rehearsal space and going in three times a week,
you may as well rent your own place, so that’s what we did,
but when we were here it was like let’s see what we can do for
other people, and when we registered the company that’s when
it came about to help other groups, that’s when we got friends
in to record and it kinda took off because we then got The
Taskers and it kinda gelled, we shared studio time and brought
out each other’s creativity and I don’t think it’s the place,
it’s the people and the things that we do.
Rob: I think it’s that because we haven’t had that
professional relationship, it has been in the sense that we
have worked professionally together but it’s been far more of
coming down for the day and people just coming down and
playing.
Nick: It's felt more like a music festival.
Si: We are very lucky because Rob has studied this and has the
expertise whereas nick and I have the experience and talk to
the bands and tell them to try new ideas.
You’ve mentioned The Taskers, Is there any bands or artists in
particular that you’ve enjoyed working with since the Jesse’s
inception
Si: Jesse's what?
Inception.
Si: Like the film?
Nick: Yeah, basically we're a band inside and band inside a
band...no he means since we started...
Si: I have thoroughly enjoyed The Bannerman stuff, I wasn't
there for any of it because I was having a baby, and I haven't
heard anything like that for a long time, it is so 80s.
Nick: It's very 'The Cure'.
Si: Yeah! I’m not into that kinda stuff, but they really drew
me in because they’re such a strong, vocal group and it
showcased what Rob could do.
Rob: Having them in the studio, it was really nice to work
with them, they were really good to have in the studio, and
The Taskers we will work with for ages.
Si: But The Bannermen are a great band and a fine example of
what Rob can do with the equipment we’ve got and I would
recommend listening to them!
The Band seems to collectively take influence from Rush, who
else would you say influences the band as a whole?
In unison: SABBATH! Devin Townsend!
Rob: The Who, and the rest we sort of bicker about.
Nick: Yeah, Rob like the Foo Fighters and Dragonforce...
Rob: I don't like Dragonforce Nick...
Who would you say influences you individually?
Si: Right…I met some Lesbians at The Taskers Party and they
are wonderful, one of them is hopefully going to do the
cartoon artwork for our next album, anyway, she told me how to
pronounce it properly but I forgot…
At this point, Si mumbles some vaguely German sounding words.
Si (continued): Which is supposed to mean “Black Forest
Gateaux”, it was said to me in a different way but still it’s
“Black Forest Gateaux”…
And that relates to influences how?
Si: Oh influences? Sorry, carry on!
Nick (laughing hysterically): What the fuck did you think he
asked ya? Lots of the classic metal stuff, Metallica, Dio,
Motorhead and a lot of the Proggy stuff that my dad got me
into so Genesis and Pink Floyd, I love Marillion, that kinda
stuff so stupid/ heavy, weird/ proggy [whilst saying this Nick
performs a hand gesture to show a combination of the two.]
Rob: Probably somewhere in the middle, big Foo Fighter's fan,
Metallica- love Metallica!
Si: You teach us about Queens of the Stone Age as well.
Rob: I love Queens of the Stone Age.
Nick: Oh and Heart! Can I say Heart? Fucking love Heart!
Rob: Led Zeppelin, probably collective, but John Bonham, why
wouldn't I?
Si: I am extremely influenced by everyone and everything, but
I’ll be honest with you, I’m really bored of the stuff I used
to listen too, but the one person that has stayed in my music
collection forever is Devin Townsend, oh! And I like Queen!
You also had some demos recorded when you unveiled the band
back in 2012, why did these not get released physically or as
downloads? What made you just stream them?
Rob: By the time we got round to getting them mixed we were
kinda working on the album and all the work kinda went towards
that by that point.
Nick: Yeah, we wanted to give people something to listen to,
and they were genuinely the first four songs that we wrote,
there was no great selection process, it was just a case of
“everything’s dynamite so let’s record them four tracks” so
they are only very rough versions they weren’t the full
completed versions it was just “here’s something to listen to
so you know what your spending three of four quid on to come
and see us”.
Rob: The four tracks went out there to tease everyone, and
they may have been released as an EP but we wrote better
things and we thought “let’s make an album” and we kinda
started focusing on that then.
What is the aim in regards to releasing the album? Do you
intend to shop it around to the labels or will this be a selfreleased labour of love?
Si: I will say that we are doing this for us and nobody else
so what we are going to do is put it out there and we don’t
care.
Rob: It will be a self-release but distributed for us.
Si: It would be nice to make a living from this, but for now
we are doing it to have a lot of fun and that’s all we are
doing it for really, when we go onstage and we can’t play
these songs and not enjoy them we’re not going to do it
anymore.
Rob: Not to get in to the whole musical debate of “No one
needs a label anymore” or anything like that but WE don’t need
a label for this, but aren’t doing it for that at this point
at all, for us, we want this to go out there because we like
it and its nice if other people like it as well.
Nick: That's it, that's genuinely it!
Si: Here’s something for your pen and paper to be fair,
Labels, all they are is massive bank loans, when we were in
our previous group we were offered two at least decent deals,
all they were was advances and they were advances on the band
as a company so whatever was there, we would be liable for it,
you were advanced a hundred thousand pound to record an album
and do, but most albums can be done in under two grand.
Rob: Any bands who read this, look up 'Three-Sixty deals', and
then just avoid it!
Si: Yep! And that’s pretty much all it is and that’s all it
was, and that’s why so many musicians in the 80s and 90s went
bankrupt.
Rob: It’s such a glamourized thing, it’s kinda like a fairy
tale I guess for a lot of people.
Nick: X Factor hasn't helped that.
Rob: Oh, don't even get me started on that!
Si: We are pretty much dead against it, I mean if someone
comes along to us and says “guys you’ve got potential, we are
willing to offer you this for this” then we will talk to them
but the way it is at the moment is we are releasing this
because we love the tunes and people need to hear them.
Nick: It’s a case of we are doing this for us, we want full
creative control over this, we want to design the album, we
want to design the cover, make it look the way we want it to,
not because people wanna shoe horn it in to be sold here, we
wanna put it here because we want a robot in it, we love being
completely free to do what we want with it.
You also recently come out with Bare John, what can you
divulge on that at the moment?
Si: Bare John is a combination of two fantastic groups, one of
which are The Taskers and incredible musicians, Nick, Rob and
I have all seen how good Jack (Tasker) and Sophie (Tasker) are
and we would love to use them, musically we saw the potential
in them and we thought we would love to work with them, and
when we did it worked so well for that first song that it was
like “crap, we need to continue this”, we already have the
next two or three songs written we just need to jam them a
little more, Bare Johns first release will be in early 2014,
as a group it will be a separate entity that will consist of
both bands.
Rob: The Taskers are a two-piece, we are a three-piece, I’ve
never played in bands of more than three people, maybe because
I can’t get on with more than 2 people at once, and it’s a
very different experience because those guys come at it from a
very different angle, and it was refreshing for all of us, it
was different.
Si: The track took a completely different shape when we turned
up on the day.
Nick: I think it's awesome, especially with Sophie's vocals on
it, I get a very Fleetwood Mac vibe from it.
Si: Sophie is a very good singer, when she recorded it, she
did it in one take and we were all just like 'wow!'
“All Love Makes”, the debut Bare John single that will be
released in the new year, is a very different beast to either
The Taskers or Jesse’s Divide but still powerful, it features
the powerful lead vocals of Sophie and hits home a message
that’s strong enough to endure the test of time, and I think
that’s exactly what musicians hope for, creating something
that transcends everything else and provides meaning and has a
grace of its own. AC/DC penned their famous tracks “For Those
About To Rock (We Salute You)” and I think for myself and Mark
(Dobson – fellow JD roadie and Light tech extraordinaire) we
can’t help but notice the true potential of Jesse’s Divide,
The Taskers and Bare John, and we salute them on their road
that’s paved with good intentions, but isn’t bound for hell…
The Journey to Dreamland...
Interview by Liz Kennedy
Stuart Green is the author of ‘The Tale of Ava-Marie Swanson’,
a children’s book about dealing with terminal illness. In a
world where many people seem to be constantly trying to wrap
their children up in cotton-wool, this is a refreshing, honest
and very important subject to tackle, and help prepare
children to face the harsh realities that life can bring in a
way they will understand. I caught up with Stuart to talk
about his book and what brought him to write about such a
bleak subject and why he chose to have his target audience as
children…
The Tale of Ava-Marie Swanson is a children’s book about
dealing with terminal illness, is this story a personal one to
you?
Stuart: When I originally came up with the concept for Ava, I
wanted to create a believable environment that not just
children, but also parents have to endure when facing tough
times. It was at this time that my father, who was already
suffering with cancer, was told he only had months left to
live. By changing the subject to a terminal illness I was able
to put my emotions into the story and found comfort at the
same time.
Why a children’s book in particular?
Stuart: At the time of deciding to do a children’s book, I was
already writing my debut fiction novel. But due to personal
reasons the project had to be abandoned temporarily whilst I
dealt with these issues. A children’s book, I found was a
simple and effective way to fill the void and I knew I could
really help people of all ages who were in a similar situation
as me learning to deal with death of a loved one staring at
them each passing day.
Did you find it easier to write about this topic in a way that
is accessible to younger children? Or was it in fact more
challenging that writing a book aimed at adults or older
children/teenagers?
Stuart: I think adults have a better understanding of taking a
step back, reconfiguring their minds and putting the pieces of
the puzzle back together to solve a problem. Sometimes with
adults you can tell things straight as they are, but with
children there has to be a right approach to tackle a
situation as deep as terminal illnesses. It was certainly more
challenging to write about the topic of loss knowing that the
intended audience would be younger children.
The topic of the story is obviously a sombre one; did you
encounter any criticism from people thinking that it might not
be suitable for young children?
Stuart: As of yet I have not received any negative approach to
the concept of the story. I did worry in the early stages that
it simply would be deemed too controversial to put out into
public. Before I knew I would make a solid go of this, I made
contact with Jennifer M Smedley, an author herself, but also
the director of her own publishing company Plantapress. After
receiving an email back from Jennifer with positive vibes and
how much good this book could really achieve to the right
audience, the ball started rolling, Jen agreed to publish it
and we set out to find an illustrator.
There is a focus on ‘Dreamland’, which becomes Ava-Marie’s
afterlife. Do you believe in such a place yourself? Or is it
just hopes that get you through?
Stuart: Whether or not people believe in an afterlife I had to
create this ‘dreamland’ as the place where people go after
they pass on; a place where children could live out their
dreams and be happy and put all the woe behind them. Every
child needs hope and I strongly believe that. Personally I do
believe in one but I created Dreamland also so that it
wouldn’t conflict too much with peoples’ religious or
spiritual views.
Donations from the book sales gave gone to Children in Need,
have you any other fundraising plans? Or any other charities
you’d like to give to?
Stuart: I have already decided that once the cut off point for
donations to children in need has been reached, further
donations will be made to cancer research UK in memory of my
late father Robert Green, and whom the book is dedicated to.
Do you have any plans to write more children’s books or was
this a one off?
Stuart: I have always said throughout this project that if Ava
proved to be a success I would love to follow on her story in
the afterlife. She has become such a personal character to me
so that would be nice. I will go back to finishing my debut
novel now.
Finally, what do you want The Tale of Ava-Marie Swanson to
really achieve?
Stuart: If the book proves to be even half as successful as I
had hoped then Avas’ story will remind everyone the true
meaning of family and friends, to provide a more positive
outlook on the subject of death and show a child that it is
merely another stage of life and it need not be feared. The
story would never have come to life as much as it has without
the fantastic art of Moara Marques, so I feel recognition for
her is very much deserved. If one child or parent can find
support in The Tale of Ava-Marie Swanson, then I will have
truly succeeded.
A personal note from Chris Straughan: It’s very rare that
something gets sent into Ramblings HQ that intrigues everyone
in the proverbial office. Stuart Green’s “The Tale of AvaMarie Swanson” has captivated us at Ramblings, I have felt
somewhat honoured to get to know Stuart in the build up to the
release of the book and being the first one to give it a
glance over when we received it. It is something I feel could
be handed to any child without hesitation when such a
difficult topic needed to be discussed, it has been written so
well that the authorial craft and illustration work together
seamlessly to create such beautiful piece of children’s
literature. Stuart has stated in the interview that he would
at some point like to revisit Ava’s story and follow the
character through another book, this is something I await with
baited breathe.
Check out Bex Gawne’s review of Stuart’s ‘The Tale of AvaMarie Swanson’ on our literature page.
Film
Reviews
Philomena
Review by Liz Kennedy
Many years ago I watched a film called ‘The Magdalene
Sisters’, and from then on I had a dislike of nuns. Of course,
it is unfair to tar all Sisters with the same brush, and the
events in this film happened many years ago when the world
itself was a very different place, where women had to suffer a
lot of wrong doing to them. When I sat down to watch
Philomena, I was aware that this story was similar to that of
the women who had suffered under the hands of the Magdalene
Sisters, and this film did bring back those feeling of disgust
at the behaviour of ostensible ‘holy’ people. There is no
other word to use to describe the actions of the Sisters- it
was despicable.
However, the beginnings of a religious debate aside, this film
was not all doom and gloom. The comedy between Dame Dench and
Steve Coogan did not fail to put a smile on my face or even to
make me laugh out loud. Performances by all involved where
wonderful and drew me in almost instantly. I say almost
because in the first five to ten minutes of the film, I did
feel that it was a little rushed, and worried that the rest of
the film would feel the same. To my relief, it was not, and I
became absorbed in the heart-breaking story of a woman who
had, in my opinion, been cheated and manipulated into thinking
she was a ‘sinner’. The film did not fail to bring a tear to
my eye, but nor did it fail to make me smile not only at the
well placed and well- timed jokes, but at the strength of
Philomena Lee herself.
People ask me a lot after I have seen a film these days
whether or not it’s worth going to see in the cinema, or
whether it’s one that can wait for the DVD release (due to, of
course, the extortionate prices of cinemas these days…) But I
can say honestly that I believe this is worth paying to see on
the big screen- especially if you like films that follow true
events or have seen ‘The Magdalene Sisters’ and found that a
powerful watch. Philomena I think is less intense, but still
has the strength to hit hard. Bittersweet.
Liz’s rating: 9/10
The Counselor
Review by Liz Kennedy
I’m not quite sure what to say about this one. When I first
saw the trailer, and saw the great cast that was taking part
in the film, I wanted to see it, yet I did have my doubts.
There have been times before when a film has been released
with lots of actors I think are great, and then I’ve just been
disappointed.
I can’t say I was disappointed with The Counselor though- but
it certainly wasn’t what I expected. For those of you who
don’t know, the film is about a lawyer who turns to drug
trafficking- and yes, it does all go tits up for him,
obviously. But I think that’s what I did like about this film,
it was all so obvious. At first, I was a little confused, and
thought that it might be hard to follow, but in actual fact it
wasn’t. I think the problem with it was that you were spoonfed a lot during the film, and it didn’t feel exactly
challenging. The plot is simple, but I think that in way
that’s where its beauty lies. With films of this nature,
you’re always waiting for some kind of twist, you don’t get
that with this film, but you do feel more drawn into the
character’s themselves, which I think is a little refreshing
when it comes to plots such as these. I do feel like it could
have picked up a bit more momentum though, but perhaps that is
because I am used to something a little more fast paced when
it comes to the subject matter of films like this.
The acting was great all round, and even the characters
themselves were a bit different. Yes, they are the same sort
of characters you’d expect in this kind of story, and yes they
do spout out lines about life and love and the way things are
which make them sound a little like wannabe philosophers,
which is to be expected. However, these characters seemed like
a new version. I can’t quite put my finger on it; I can only
say that it must be the efforts of the cast, the director and
the writer.
I wouldn’t necessarily say rush to the cinema to catch this
film, but nor would I say it’s not worth your time. I think
it’s definitely worth a watch, but you don’t need to put it at
the top of your list.
Liz's rating: 7/10
The Worlds End (Blu-Ray release)
Review by Chris Straughan
In an age where cinema ticket prices are rising and piracy is
ruining film releases, I find myself looking forward to the
home releases of films. As much as I relished the idea of
watching “The Cornetto Trilogy” at the cinema during a
marathon sitting, divine intervention prevented such a
spectacle. November saw the release of “The World’s End” on
home media, I had waited for this since missing the cinematic
release, and in a heart bear the film was playing on my own
TV. It’s hard to analyse the film in respect to the rest of
the trilogy, as each one is different. “The World’s End” has a
message beneath all the laughs and the beer swigging, and it’s
somewhat heartfelt.
Overflowing with laughs, underlying serious notes and somewhat
ink drenched comedic violence, this is a film that truly
showcases the diversity of the cast, but also their ability to
carry a joke on through three films released over a nine year
period.
It’s a film that is a fitting end to the trilogy and yet it
won’t be the final film that comes from this team.
Chris's rating: 9/10
The Wolverine (Blu-Ray release)
Review by Chris Straughan
Films that are based on comic books seem to be a dime-a-dozen
nowadays, the list of comic characters that doesn’t feature in
or have their own movie is slowly dwindling, however, one
character that seems to be a Hollywood favourite is Wolverine,
having starred in the X-men trilogy, his own origins movie and
now being given a continuation to the franchise with “The
Wolverine” (and also featuring in the upcoming “Days of future
past”).
Released onto home media formats in November, The Wolverine
rectifies the problems that Origins made, it was a film worthy
of the Wolverine name, and it showed further evolution of the
character. His troubled and turbulent past has redeeming
moments where his heroic nature shines through. It follows him
through a trial and tribulation that sees him become human and
power through to save a woman from the evil that consumes the
weakest of men.
A mid credits scene teases at the upcoming Days of Future Past
and ends with you hungry for more, this and the brilliantly
executed First class has given me hope for the new film, but a
lot can change in time.
Chris's Rating: 8/10
Music
Reviews
'Baptized' - Daughtry
Review by Chris Straughan
Hearing the new Daughtry album after being a fan from their
debut is like putting on an old comfortable piece of clothing,
it’s embracing, warming and consoling. With “Baptized” the
band have taken a step in a more commercial and poppy
direction, yet Chris’ resounding rock vocals pierce the veil
and ensure that the edge is still very much present.
The songs have a strength to them, “Battleships” fires round
after round of musical perfection, “Waiting for Superman” was
released as the first single for the album, and rightfully so,
the album has a Clark Kent quality to it, upon the surface its
merely the next Daughtry album but it is infact a superior
album waiting to unveil its little secrets and hidden
strengths.
“Traitors” hits hard with an industrial feel, and “Long Live
Rock N Roll” is anthemic and has almost authorial craft to it
in the sense that it tells a story yet acts as a call to arms.
It has an empowering factor and pays tribute to the icons of
yesteryear.
Daughtry have indeed changed direction with this release, but
this is far from a band thing. Bands often fail with their
third album, but here is Daughtry proving that on their fourth
record they are standing on the shoulders of giants to achieve
a new level of greatness.
Chris’ rating: 8/10
Baptized is out as a standard or deluxe edition in all good
record stores.
'The Best of Volume One' - Nickelback
Review by Chris Straughan
Nickelback are somewhat of an anomaly, their better songs are
only known to those who buy the albums, and the rest of the
musical world believes that all their songs are the same
cheesy radio friendly material that is overplayed on all
musical outlets worldwide.
I am a Nickelback fan from the Silver Side up days, and with
each album they’ve simply gotten better, each album containing
the usual radio friendly tracks surrounded by some of the best
musical writing and performances that has been committed to CD
for a great many years.
When it was announced therefore that a “Best of” was being
released, my heart sank a little, it was destined from day one
to be a collection of the songs that have made them radio
heroes rather than the metal influenced tracks that get the
blood pumping before a night out on the town.
“The Best of Nickelback Volume 1” is exactly what we all had
pictured when the album was announced, a compilation featuring
“Rock Star”, “Photograph”, “How You Remind Me” amongst 16
other tracks. The redeeming feature comes towards the end of
the CD, the inclusion of “Animals” and “Something in your
mouth”. These two prime cuts just whet the appetite enough to
show what this band is truly capable of.
Chris' rating: 5/10
The Best of Nickelback Volume 1 is available now through
Roadrunner Records in all good record stores.
'The Wrong Side of Heaven and the Righteous Side of Hell Vol.
Two' - Five Finger Death Punch
Review by Chris Straughan
The old saying goes that the first cut is always the deepest,
however Five Finger Death Punch have proved otherwise with
this searing finale to The Wrong Side of Heaven & the
Righteous Side of Hell. This album is heartfelt and emotive
yet seething with the abrasive trademark that Five Finger have
perfected and harnessed from their debut. Much like volume 1,
this has maintained the energy that previous albums have
lacked. Each member is firing on all cylinders and as a result
the album is once again flawless. What is unique about this
whole project is that both Volumes come together so
seamlessly, this genuinely is how double albums should be, not
an oversaturation of material that is lacklustre, but instead
something powerful and a force unto itself. Closing the album
is the classic folk song “The House of the Rising Sun”, but
even this has been mutated into a moving piece of musicianship
and lyricism thanks to the changes made to it. The one
criticism I would say is that “Diary of a Deadman” would have
been best suited for the very end of the whole project, just
due to the way the track is structured, but that’s merely me
overthinking things. Five Finger have delivered an album that
should rightfully stand as a testament to their place in
Metal.
Chris' Rating: 10/10
The Wrong Side of Heaven & the Righteous Side of Hell Volume 2
is out now via Prospect Park.
'The Marshall Mathers LP 2'- Eminem
Review by Kieran Walker
There are very few figures in the Hip-Hop industry that have
elaborated the game as well as Marshall Mathers himself;
following up from 2010’s multiplatinum `Recovery` Eminem
delivered the much anticipated `Marshal Mathers LP2’, the
sequel to 2000’s centre-piece. Em’s eighth studio album sees a
unique but impelling production combining elements of rock
with electrifying bars.
Eminem’s rhyme ability proves honour worthy through `Rap God’
which electrifies in speed and flow. He raps so consistently
that he delivers 97 words in 15 seconds, an average of 4.5
words per second, truly mind-blowing. `Survival’ cements an
impeccably delivered comeback which embraces pure defiance of
a truly mastered track. The albums production uses major rock
influences through its entirety, something Eminem is notably
known for doing greatly. Both `So Far’ and `Berzerk` see him
deliver fierce bars over guitar riffs with interlink of vinyl
scratches. Billy Squire’s `The Stroke’ is a principle sample
to `Berzerk’ while also getting help from the Beastie Boys
themselves. `Berzerk’, a Rick Rubin produced track also sees
Em use his signature light hearted style. However Eminem gets
down and deep melodically singing for `Stronger Than I Was’ in
its completeness. Eminem then hits home with chart number one
`The Monster’ which features vocals from Rihanna, their third
collaboration together (another truly stunning one for that
matter). Em then shows utter passion through the penultimate
`Headlights’ where Nate Ruess of indie band Fun provides
alluring chorus vocals.
A superb album which offers a fantastic deluxe and overall
represents yet again a true master MC of the game in Marshall
Bruce Mathers. Certified Rap God!!!
Kieran's rating: 10/10
'James Arthur' - James Arthur
Review by Kieran Walker
The subject of the X Factor UK singing competition always
causes much debate, specifically amongst fans of heavier metal
genres. However if it wasn’t for 2012’s edition of the show we
wouldn’t have been introduced to Mr James Arthur.
James Arthur wowed the nation with his alternative style of
distinctive tone and remarkable vocal range. His highly
anticipated self-titled debut album `James Arthur’ explores a
deep passion for R&B with his own elements of Soul, Rock and
flawless rap ability. His winning cover of Shontelle’s
`Impossible’ defies James and his heartfelt journey alone. A
major change to usual X-Factor manufacturing, opener, `You’re
Nobody `till somebody loves You’, electrifies classic Arthur
in dynamic rock fashion. The album sees Arthur respectively
collaborate with singing duo Chasing Grace and even award
winning Emeli Sande. Arthur illuminates oblique soul into the
stunning but heart-breaking `Suicide’ that showcases his raw
talent. `Is This Love’ explores Arthur’s tremendous range in a
stunning track that should be a major hit. `Smoke Clouds’ sees
Arthur take on an acoustic approach, something he does
extremely well being a great guitarist. James Arthur closes
with `Flyin` High’ where he is able to showcase his rap
ability and defies aspects of an early Plan B. Through an
essence of flow the album marks Arthur as a sure superstar in
the making elaborating his already mainstream status. An
overall hit debut LP and is sure to be a future national
treasure.
Kieran's rating: 10/10
Fiction
Wish
By Tim Elsy
"Have you ever stopped to think about wishing?" My
bespectacled friend asked me as we sat sipping our bitter
lemonade.
"No," I answered, "I don’t think I have." I gave him a look
that was undoubtedly lost beyond the frame of his glasses as
he continued to look longingly skyward.
We had been there for about an hour now. The sunset we had
come to watch had long since passed and we had spent the time
since longing for the first star of the night.
"What do you mean you don’t think you have?” He asked me,
adjusting his glasses. “You either have or you haven’t.”
"Well," I bit my tongue, "I don’t honestly know what you
mean." He let out a long sigh and turned back to the sky. I
watched the reflections in his glasses as his gaze remained
fixed on the dark infinity of space. The way his mouth curled
into that smile, the way his eyebrows bunched out of habit as
he squinted at the distance.
"Like, don’t you think they reveal a lot about a person?" He
started, thankfully not aware that I was now watching him and
not the sky. "Their hopes, their fears…their deepest desires."
"I guess." I absentmindedly contributed. "I’m sure a lot of
people don’t really give it that much thought." "Hey?" His
smile fell into a frown and I looked sharply away, hoping he
hadn’t noticed me. "Yeah?" I kept my eyes fixed on the eternal
blue above me. "What would you wish for?" I lowered my eyes
and looked into his. There was a chill to them I hadn’t seen
before, like he was hoping so strongly on my next answer. "Oh,
you know," I said, feeling the blood rush to my cheeks. “Just
stupid stuff." He smiled weakly and let himself fall back. He
just lay there with his arms outstretched, scanning the
heavens. Something about him seemed utterly defeated and it
cut deep in my heart. I wanted nothing more than to hold him
close, to never let go but all I could bring myself to do was
sigh and flop back, just as he had done. "Well how about you?"
I said in my cheeriest tone, trying to hide my heartache.
"What are you going to wish for?" He turned his head and
looked me square in the eye, his glasses again reflecting the
vast universe and its infinite possibilities. I could read
from his face that he wanted to say something, something that
if he said it could have a devastating consequence. He took a
deep breath and I saw it. There, in the reflection of those
thick lenses: a spark. A distant, flickering spark. A hope, a
dream…a wish. "Hey!" I glanced at the sky to make sure before
shuffling my arm to point up. "Now’s your chance!"
Imagine
By Lydia Wagster
Bee was a person who found fault with most things that reality
presented to her. Since early childhood she had always veered
on the side of it when it came to other people. It was no
secret that she had been an odd child with very few friends
and some very bizarre ideas; she recalled being four years old
and coughing into her pillow every night, assuming that if she
stored all of her coughs in one place then she could use them
later. “What for?” the other children would ask, little brows
furrowed in confusion. To be honest, she didn’t really know.
But it was, to her, a ritual that made sense. She couldn’t
fall ill if she already had her germs locked up where she
could keep an eye on them. Not only this, but she was mortally
afraid of the restricting feeling of buttons and zips, which
made winter particularly unbearable. Her parents had to dash
out and buy her a coat with loose Velcro fastenings to stop
her from screaming every time they tried to force her tiny
arms into the sleeves.
At night, she used to like staying awake under the duvet,
inventing vast new worlds and princesses who wore armour as
thick as their flowing hair and spilled dragon blood as gaudy
and red as the rubies on their crowns. Her head became a place
of escape, and so it remained as she grew up. She played games
with her imaginary friends, made animal companions out of felt
and string and bits of orange peel. She had a knack for
different voices to accompany her pals, some booming and lowpitched, others nothing more than a shrill squeaking noise,
but she switched between them with great ease in a
conversation with herself. At school she sat alone in the
playground, and watched the other children furtively, as if
they were part of a code she couldn’t quite work out. Her
parents would worry and fret about her overactive imagination.
They thought perhaps it was ADHD, or maybe she was being
bullied by those rich, glossy looking girls that waited
outside the school gates to size up their prey. They took her
to a psychiatrist but he scratched his head, gave them a
puzzled stare from beneath his jetty brow and declared their
daughter “perfectly normal”.
It became less problematic for Bee in her early twenties.
People eventually stopped worrying about her because she had
mastered the act of normality. She had a job and an apartment,
and of course nobody decided to pry when she spouted rather
convincing lies about her busy schedule and roaring social
life. In her spare moments, she took her fleeting breaks from
the banality of adult life, and retreated to her head.
Although now, she expertly concealed her daydreaming with an
expression of nonchalance; this was something she had learned
in her late teenage years, when another girl had caught her
staring and constructing an imaginary friendship, and gave her
a rather nasty black eye. She thought less and less of makebelieve friends as she grew older, and somehow the allure of
her magic fantasy worlds had all but dwindled to an occasional
nostalgic thought. No, her new secret pretence was falling in
love, and she did so often throughout the day.
These whirlwind love affairs came to her in a flurry of giddy
daydreams, inspired by whoever she might catch a transitory
glimpse of at the bus stop, at the bank, in the library. She
would pen love letters in her mind; an ode for a tall man with
broad shoulders, a haiku for a boy wearing a bow tie and
braces. She would admire them in droves, and feel a pang for
each one as he vanished in the opposite direction. On the way
to work each morning, she began to place herself deliberately
in the path of these ephemeral encounters, and her neglected
imagination was allowed to run riot. Her love life became a
back catalogue of momentary eye contact, or accidental touches
and polite apologies at the brief contact of skin on skin.
These tiny relationships were built on pure aesthetics. She
played them out, quietly now, in her head like a play or a
television rom-com. This one would take her to the cinema and
offer her his popcorn with a shy smile; that one would buy her
endless tequila shots and they would end up breaking into the
local wildlife park at 4am. This one rode a bicycle, and
kissed her in the rain, and sometimes he’d roll her a
cigarette and hold onto her hand a little longer than needed
as he passed it to her. She gave them lives and personality
traits and flaws. The boy with the messy hair and headphones
liked Bob Dylan and had four younger sisters, so he could be a
little possessive sometimes. The one with the freckles and the
Marvel comic books played the saxophone and was mildly
obsessive compulsive, while the guy with the combat boots and
shaved head said he was a vegan and knew how to put people
into a sleeper hold, but he secretly ate ice cream and watched
Disney films when his housemates weren’t home.
Their fictions wove seamlessly into her own. She built temples
and skyscrapers out of every boy she saw, yet their realities
always disappointed. In her adult life she had come to realise
that other people, like her, were boring. The boys she took
home listened to a lot of bad old music and sometimes kissed
her without brushing their teeth. They would use her quickly
and selfishly and she would leave their untidy houses in last
night’s crumpled dress with a fantasy already braiding itself
into her perception. On her way out she would glance at their
bookshelves and she would make inventories of their taste.
Bee walked through the city with her eyes on her shoes. She
was too lost in her abstraction to notice him looking at her.
He saw her distant, dreamy expression and her lips upturned
ever so slightly- and he began to invent her.
Enjoy writing yourself? We are taking submissions, so if you
would like to have the opportunity to see you're short fiction
in Ramblings, please email us with the short story attached.
Or if you'd just like to enquire about it, feel free to email
us too! Just put 'Fiction/the title of your story' into the
subject box. You can find our contact information on the
'Contact' page.
Literature
REVIEWS
The Tale of Ava-Marie Swanson- S.R Green
Review by Bex Gawne
This month we've been sent a very special children's story
from S.R Green. The Tale of Ava-Marie Swanson deals with the
sensitive issue of children's terminal illness in a tender and
emotive way. It's a perfect children's book to help youngsters
get to grips with terminal illnesses in their peer group. The
book aims to "bring joy in times of sorrow" and bring joy it
certainly does.
The character of Ava is what you would expect from a
children's story heroine. She is strong and a daydreamer,
wishing to be a princess, enjoying time with her friends and
loving her parents. She is also ill, but the beauty of the
story is the illness is never discussed obviously. The tender
subtle way Green discusses Ava's illness makes you almost
forget she's ill.
The language used in the story is simplistic, what else would
you expect from a children's book? Yet the descriptions are
effective and touching, I especially love the opening
describing the family. The story is written in first person
narrative from the perspective of Ava herself. She is a lovely
heroine and a great narrator for the story, using intimate
language with the reader and connecting herself in a brilliant
way to us. She is really the only narrator I could imagine for
this story as she is so important and her story is in need of
telling from her perspective. As a storyteller, I could
imagine a child being drawn to Ava and wanting to be her
friend. Her rhetorical and speech like narration hooks the
reader into her world.
The book is divided into 'mini-chapters', each one describing
a certain aspect of Ava’s life. We begin with being born and
are treated to chapters such as 'The Sleepover' and 'Dress
Up'. I believe these chapters will make the story easier for a
child to understand and to read and are very cleverly devised.
One chapter that really moved me was '6. What A Wuss!' I won't
spoil the story and tell you what happens but the emotion in
that chapter from Ava's dad makes it one of the most moving
chapters in the book.
The Tale of Ava-Marie Swanson will move you, even as an adult
reading it, knowing it's a children's story. Ava is a
beautifully created heroine and her story is one you need to
read.
My Sister's Keeper - Jodi Picoult
Review by Bex Gawne
To tie in with this month's 'hot book' The Tale of Ave-Marie
Swanson, I also read My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult. This
novel once again deals with terminal illness, this time in
teenager Kate who was diagnosed with a rare form of leukaemia
aged two years old. She is now sixteen when the novel picks
up. The novel revolves around her family - the Fitzgerald's
and their fight to save Kate. Parents Brian and Sarah would,
understandably, do anything to cure their eldest child and so
they genetically engineered a third child who would become a
donor to Kate, Anna.
The story begins with Kate aged sixteen and Anna aged
thirteen. Kate needs a new kidney and Sarah, the mother,
decides Anna will donate her kidney to save Kate. Anna
disagrees and decides to apply for medical emancipation from
her family.
What's interesting about this book is that is not just written
from one perspective. We learn a wide range of different
perspectives throughout the book - from Anna, to Sarah, to
Brian, to the lawyer, to the brother Jesse and finally, last
of all, Kate's perspective. The novel spans two weeks in time
and while I won't spoil the story for you, I will say the
story line is gripping throughout. During each perspective we
learn different ideas and feelings of the struggle and pain
you go through dealing with a sick sibling or child or even
client.
As a heroine and protagonist, Picoult manages to create a
strong, individual minded thirteen year old in Anna to the
point where you forget she is as young as she is. She is tough
and through her narrative I began to take her side of the
story.
I will warn you, this novel is one of the most heart breaking
novels I've ever read and I'm not ashamed to admit I cried
throughout reading. It is a tear jerker at its very best; one
not to be missed.
A Tale for The Time Being - Ruth Ozeki
Review by Bex Gawne
Nominated for this year's Man Booker Prize, ‘A Tale for the
Time Being’ follows Ruth, a young woman who finds a Hello
Kitty lunchbox washed up on a beach containing a teenager's
diary. She suspects the diary was swept away in the 2011
Tsunami. Within the pages of the diary lies Nao and her hopes,
dreams and aspirations as she tries to navigate modern life.
The diary is highly touching and an ingenious way of
introducing the reader to Nao. Nao's speech and address to the
reader pulls you into the story and hooks you from the word
go. The diary is designed for Nao to find a friend who will
finally understand her and within the pages you instantly get
to know Nao and her dreams. Nao is a young girl in a Tokyo
cafe, introducing the reader to her Japanese lifestyle with
the help of a Buddhist nun for a great-grandmother. The
Buddhist nun for a great-grandmother introduces theology and
religion effortlessly into the story without coming across as
preaching a lifestyle.
Ruth, on the other hand, is on Vancouver Island, miles away
from Nao's life in Japan. She discovers Nao's diary washed up
on the beachfront of her home and decides to bring it home.
This one seemingly random act changes Ruth's life as she
delves deeper into Nao's and rediscovers compassion and love.
Ozeki moves seamlessly from Ruth's life to Nao's, covering
every angle of their story in brilliant prose and touching
description. It is a compelling coming of age story that is
contains interwoven lives beautifully.
For a challenging yet rewarding read I definitely recommend ‘A
Tale for the Time Being’. Getting to grips with Nao's Japanese
culture can at times seem challenging, yet when you do the
book opens itself up to you and becomes a cherishing rewarding
read.
Photography
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