The Ithacan

Accuracy • Independence • Integrity

The movie is indeed a one-sided telling…carried by the spectacular performance by Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Snowden) but hindered by other performances.

The group made waves with “Stay Beautiful,” a two-piece acoustic Spotify exclusive, released Sept. 8. Following the release of their second full-length album, “Blush,” “Stay Beautiful” is a coupling of two songs that successfully encompasses the two themes that are most prevalent in Moose Blood’s music: family and love. Their deeply personal lyrics translate beautifully into the stories told by the E.P.’s tracks, “Glow” and “Knuckles.”

The first track, “Glow,” opens up with slow, melodic guitar strumming, which sets a melancholy tone for the rest of the track. The instrumentals are followed by the lyrics, “I said goodbye today / I just watched you drive away / I just stood with mum and waved.” The combination of Eddy Brewerton’s raw vocals and the guitarist’s soft melodies add a heart-wrenching touch to the song. The lyrics provide insight to the difficulties of being separated from one’s father, while sweet melodies and instrumentals envelop the listener. Released as a single on Jun. 1, “Knuckles” is a true anthem to those who have experienced unrequited love. Opening up with the lyrics, “It wasn’t hard to fall for you / You had it all planned out, didn’t you,” the song offers an introspective look at love. The track builds on this knowledge, providing slow, low instrumentals to accompany it, adding to the emotion. It continues later with “That thing you said, stay beautiful / Even though that I know that it’s second hand,” providing more evidence of the heartache being felt by the artist while also referencing the name of the E.P., “Stay Beautiful.” During the last run through of those lines, there are moments of unaccompanied vocals where the listener is left with nothing between them and the music. It’s a period of reflection, for both the listener and the musician.

Viewers meet Michelle Robinson (Tika Sumpter) as she gets ready in her mother’s home for what she calls a “business meeting.” Her mother teases her, saying, “I thought this wasn’t a date?” To Robinson, it wasn’t — until she met the ever-so-charming Barack Obama (Parker Sawyers). Obama and Robinson visit countless places on their date, such as an Afro-Culture museum exhibit, a church meeting and a theater to see the film “Do the Right Thing.”

This album jumps right into its harsh sound with title track “Bad Vibrations.” While old fans will recognize the dark, emo sound and possible nostalgic themes of early 2000s punk, other listeners will skip over this song. Under lead singer Jeremy McKinnon’s screaming vocals, a loud guitar riff follows an overdone beat, producing nothing more than a blaring tune.

DeGraw presents a sound similar to his previous song, “I Don’t Want To Be,” in his new song, “You Make My Heart Sing Louder,” from his new album. The singer-songwriter captivates his fans by returning to his original sound for this steady, medium-tempo piece. Another new song from the album that takes fans back to his 2003 sound is “Kite Like Girl.” This upbeat, instrumental song encompasses DeGraw’s classic sound but has a pop twist.

All artists experiment with their sound, and The Head and the Heart is no exception. Though many fans might be disillusioned by the band’s newfound dance-pop sound, the album is well-produced and full of catchy songs. The 13-track LP contains some gems, and despite some breaches in originality, it is energetic and easy to listen to.

Ocean’s 45-minute film gives viewers more than expected. With a combination of mesmerizing lyrics and several look-alikes, he presents himself as prodigal and self-aware. Under the limelight, it’s difficult for artists to remain down-to-earth.

“Don’t Breathe” is more grounded in its script and its direction — it doesn’t rely on typical jump scares, but it builds tension throughout.

“Vacancy” provides a sense of Bayside’s old sound, which fans can get behind, while still introducing a unique, complicated change to its music.

Netflix’s “The Little Prince,” based on the classic work of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, delivers such a rich range of emotion, moral and visual complexity. This complexity is evident in “Prince” — each chapter of the Prince’s quest, from his home on the minuscule Asteroid B-612 to the vast expanse of the Sahara Desert, is rendered in stop-motion.

Somehow, Glass Animals created a sound so intricate that regardless of the listener’s environment, the album feels full and complete. This album is ideal for loud parties on Friday nights, but it also includes tunes that can create a calmer atmosphere more appropriate for a rainy evening.

The concept of the Suicide Squad — a group of supervillains who are signed up to do the government’s dirty work — is strong. But when a director subtracts the action, emotion and comedic relief, and replaces it with backstories and unaddressed abusive relationships, it fails.