The Arts Desk’s weekly picks for music, movies and more
By ZOEY MORTAZAVI — arts@theaggie.org
Album: “Shelter” by Alice Phoebe Lou (2023)
I discovered this album one song at a time across a span of several months. Once I pieced it together on about six of my monthly playlists, I discovered Alice Phoebe Lou — a South African singer-songwriter with a stunning voice and beautiful, sentimental lyrics. She’s rapidly climbed up in the ranks of my top artists for 2024, and I cannot recommend her album “Shelter” enough. Lou has released five self-funded studio albums to date with “Shelter” being her newest. The album delves into themes of introspection and vulnerability in love and is melancholic yet hopeful and sweet. Many of the songs are slow, blending elements of jazz, folk and indie music to show off her elegant vocals.
Book: “The Mill on the Floss” by George Eliot (1860)
In Greta Gerwig’s adaptation of “Little Women,” Jo March (Saoirse Ronan) reads an excerpt of Mary Ann Evans’ novel, “The Mill on the Floss,” while sitting on the beach with her sister, Beth March. The quote, which delved into the value of childhood and the innocence of youth, stuck with me long after the film ended. I looked up the quote and immediately ordered the book — Evans was known throughout her life by the pen name George Eliot in order to disguise her gender. “The Mill on the Floss” tells the story of Maggie and Tom Tulliver, who grow up at Dorlcote Mill along the River Floss in St. Ogg’s, England. The Tulliver family struggles financially after a lawsuit, and the novel parallels the downfall of the family with the exploration of individual characters’ dreams and desires. Evans skillfully employs psychological prose as she delves into the intricacies of relationships, particularly while Maggie seeks to find her identity outside of who she is within her family. Her descriptions are stunning, deeply empathetic and hone in on character development and a desire for freedom juxtaposed with a deep nostalgia for the past.
Show: “Sharp Objects” dir. Jean-Marc Vallée (2018)
As a redhead, I couldn’t not watch a show that had Amy Adams and Eliza Scanlen as its thumbnail. So, I watched “Sharp Objects” for the first time on a road trip home from Utah with absolutely no context in mind. I watched the whole show (over eight hours) in one sitting. Though this show is a limited series, I was completely hooked while watching. The show tells the story of journalist Camille Preaker (Amy Adams) as she is sent back to her hometown of Wind Gap, Missouri, to report on the murders of several little girls. As she discovers the truth about the murders and about the history of her hometown, she also undergoes a journey of self-discovery when she is exposed to the dark history of her hometown and even her own family’s past, including her mother (Patricia Clarkson) and her younger half-sister (Eliza Scanlen). The mystery, character development and flashback sequences in every episode make this series a watch that will have you on the edge of your seat. The ending — featuring a plot twist that I was thinking about for weeks — convinced me to read Gillian Flynn’s novel of the same name which inspired the series, which I also highly recommend.
Song: “Oh! No Darling” by Sarah Kinsley (2023)
Sarah Kinsley is an up-and-coming singer-songwriter who began releasing singles in 2019. Her song, “Oh! No Darling,” came up in my Spotify Discover Weekly, and I am beyond glad that I discovered Kinsley. “Oh! No Darling” is a song that builds, with an upbeat melody and intricate, layered harmonies that contrast with the lyrics, which touch on loss and nostalgia for “the sweeter days” that she seems to have lost while “running with her head / for the sake of living on the edge.” Kinsley recently released her first full studio album, “Escaper,” on Sept. 6, 2024. Her lyrics are relatable, her voice is ethereal and unique and her instrumentals create a listening experience that I can’t recommend enough.
Written by: Zoey Mortazavi — arts@theaggie.org
