Music Review - Teen Dream

Teen Dream by Beach House was one of the most interesting albums I listened to all year. It took me a few listens to get into it, but it is an album that is very different from anything I've ever heard. The lead singer has a very strong, folky voice on top of clever rhythms and mixes of sound. The band even experiments in a song "Norway" with off-tune background music.

Other songs in the album such as "Zebra" and "10 Mile Stereo" exemplify their interesting guitar riffs. The layers of different guitar parts give the songs a unique feel.

This album is their most recent and is their third. It is by far their best of the three and exemplifies their creativity. It is definitely a good album for anyone who is looking for new music. However, it is an album that you really need to listen in order to get into it.

This band is truly idiosyncratic in their sound and while they may sound dull at first, they are very talented and should go far. 8/10 for both their brilliant mash ups of sound and their creativity.

(Go to the bottom of the page for a song from this album.)

Jay and Nick (The Great Gatsby)

Gatsby and Nick do not have a traditional friendship. They first met at Gatsby's party, which Nick was invited to by him. Gatsby seemed to be the man who always had parties and since Nick lived next door he invited him to one. During the party, they talked and they arranged to hang out the next day. Right off the bat, Gatsby started to talk about himself and his life. Gatsby also asked Nick what he thought about him. This awkward question that was posed by Gatsby put Nick in an awkward situation. However, Nick handles it well.

It seems that the two are strangely alike. Both are outsiders of the group they are usually with: the upper class. However, they are outsiders for different reasons. Gatsby is an outsider because not many actually know him, but he holds many parties so almost everyone knows of him. Nick, however, is someone who does not have as much money as the other people he hangs out with so he can not pull off such impressive luxuries. Not only in these ways, but both don't share all of the same interests as other people and listen more than they talk. This is maybe why they bonded together in the first place.

Their relationship is somewhat more complicated. In the beginning, it seems that Gatsby likes Nick and that is the only reason that he is being so kind and generous to him. After Jordan tells Nick that Gatsby wants Nick to invite over Daisy for him, however, this view is changed. It seems that Gatsby is using Nick to get back to Daisy. To make it look worse, Gatsby offers Nick a job at one of his companies. It seems like some kind of bribe. However, we can't really tell exactly if this is what Gatsby is intending. We don't know enough about his actual character to know if he is using Nick or not.

This uneasiness of their relationship at this point cannot tell us exactly their relationship. Now it's time for you to decide. Nick and Gatsby, friends or not?

Winter Poem

A winter poem, easily described by the name. 

It snowed last night,

  and my world was turned completely white.

The moon shone down on the blanket of snow,

  and told the oceans which direction to go.

The cold winds smashed against my windowsill,

  looking for a way into my room to give me a chill.

But now the day begins and the sun shines bright,

  on every living thing covered in white.

The sun’s warmth begins to magically warm

  all the creatures battered by the storm.

The snow surrounds my house,

   and makes the sounds muted and quiet as a mouse.

Icicles hang like ornaments on a tree,

   and drip slowly, longing to be free.

Slowly, color returns to my yard

  as the melting snowman stands down from his guard.

The Trick of Writing

Writing is something we use everyday. It is something we read almost everywhere we look and a tool that we use ourselves. While it is very useful, it can be used to deceive us. The complication of language is the meaning. English is one language that definitely has a lot of words to say one idea. This complication of communication gives people a tool. They can say whatever they want without outwardly saying it. Implying certain thoughts here and there, but never outwardly saying it. Many people use this when they are trying to get around problems.

This sort of thought process that goes into writing requires the reader to always analyze what someone is saying. Not something simple such as "I like cat", but some vague writings that have been made like Romeo & Juliet. These kinds of writings make it necessary for whoever the reader is to really try to understand the meaning. That is the only way you can really get the right ideas out of it. However, it isn't easy to do this and you need to have a lot of experience. This can sometimes take a lot of effort, but it will help you in the long run. Throughout a persons life they will be faced with intense writings like these all the time. It is their job to decipher them. What they get out of the reading may affect their views on everything. Make sure you know what you are reading, it's important.