{"id":2913,"date":"2022-10-16T00:46:10","date_gmt":"2022-10-15T23:46:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/theacousticeggbox.com\/?p=2913"},"modified":"2022-10-16T00:46:10","modified_gmt":"2022-10-15T23:46:10","slug":"egg-box-essentials-february-2022","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theacousticeggbox.com\/index.php\/2022\/10\/16\/egg-box-essentials-february-2022\/","title":{"rendered":"Egg Box Essentials &#8211; February 2022"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_2915\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2915\" style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/thetwofingers.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/February-Image-1024x576.jpg\" class=\"size-large wp-image-2915\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" alt=\"\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2915\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo by Glen Carrie on Unsplash<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>I started these &#8220;Egg Box Essentials&#8221; features last year with the full intention of writing one a month to highlight any interesting titbits I&#8217;d heard, watched or read. The two I did put out before a foggy, pandemic-induced malaise robbed me of inspiration, were both well received, and so, armed with a renewed (and hopefully not misplaced) sense of optimism, here&#8217;s another.<\/p>\n<p>As I always love to hear from those of you who read these pages, please feel free to drop me a line if you have any recommendations about &#8220;stuff&#8221; you think might be worth a mention. There&#8217;s a &#8220;Contact&#8221; tab on the home page or if you click <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/wp.me\/P9hY2N-Le\">here<\/a><\/strong><\/span> it&#8217;ll take you directly to the forms which you can use to send me (polite!) suggestions. f you want to know the sort of things that get my ears twitching or my toes tapping, there are plenty of blog posts throughout the site that&#8217;ll give you an idea, or if you can&#8217;t drag yourself away from this page, here&#8217;s a link to my <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/thetwofingers.co.uk\/2022\/01\/21\/2021-the-acoustic-egg-box-top-30-albums-of-the-year\/\">2021 Top 30 Albums Of The Year<\/a><\/strong><\/span><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><strong>.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>I hope you find something new or interesting in the next few paragraphs. Thanks for reading &#8211; you&#8217;re a bloody hero!<\/p>\n<p>Just one more thing. I&#8217;m sure you all know this by now, but if you click on any bold, red and underlined text, it&#8217;ll be a link to either a video, music or additional reading about the artist\/ item in question.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>LISTENING&#8230;<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>Kicking off the year seeing Soul II Soul perform their much delayed &#8220;Club Classics&#8221; gig at the 02 in Bristol was just the post-Christmas and New Year tonic Mrs Egg Box and myself needed. Magnificent as ever, Jazzy B and his enormous crew put on a fantastic show that left us both happy, re-energised and hungover &#8211; definitely the mark of a good night out!<\/p>\n<p>The inscrutable <strong>Josh Tillman (aka Father John Misty)<\/strong> is one of my favourite singer\/ songwriters of the last 10 years. In fact, his exceptional &#8220;I Love You Honeybear&#8221; album was an <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/wp.me\/p9hY2N-24\">Acoustic Egg Box No.1<\/a><\/strong><\/span> back in 2015. 2 more crackers followed: &#8220;Pure Comedy&#8221; (<span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/wp.me\/p9hY2N-5q\">AEB No.11<\/a><\/strong><\/span>) and &#8220;God&#8217;s Favourite Customer&#8221; in 2018 <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/ES2WW4JJ_84\">(AEB No.6)<\/a><\/strong><\/span>. The great news is that he&#8217;s just announced his new album, &#8220;Chloe &amp; The Next 20th Century&#8221; (Sub Pop\/ Bella Union) is due out on April 8th. First single, &#8220;Funny Girl&#8221;, is one of the most atmospheric and beautiful songs I think FJM has ever recorded. His dreamy croon, backed by a big-band orchestra, has 1950s movie soundtrack written all over it. And although the song is wonderful enough with no added extras, the <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/ES2WW4JJ_84\">accompanying video,<\/a><\/strong><\/span> featuring a flying jellyfish floating through Wizard Of Oz style scenery, is mesmerising. If the rest of the new album is this good, I&#8217;m already predicting that it&#8217;ll be a contender for his second AEB No.1.<\/p>\n<p>2021 was a magnificent year for lovers of soul music, and judging by the schedules, 2022 is shaping up to be every bit as good. After what seems like an eternity,&nbsp;<strong>Nicole Wray (aka Lady Wray)<\/strong> released her 3rd album, &#8220;Piece Of Me&#8221; (Big Crown Records) in January. And what a corker it is. If the 12 tracks of modern soul (with a 70s retro twist) don&#8217;t get your toes tapping, then maybe the video for &#8220;<span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/V7nty32WXR8\">Under The Sun<\/a><\/strong><\/span>&#8221; will set your pulse racing instead!<\/p>\n<p>Alabama 8 piece outfit, <strong>St Paul &amp; The Broken Bones<\/strong>, also released their new album, &#8220;The Alien Coast&#8221; (ATO Records), in January. Paul Janeway&#8217;s voice is still as majestic as ever, as heard on &#8220;<span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/9J5o3f1n3vY\">Popcorn Ceiling<\/a><\/strong><\/span>&#8221; and this incredible live session recording of &#8220;<span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/Lv7zM9_oeKw\">Love Letter From A Red Roof Inn<\/a><\/strong><\/span>&#8220;. But if you were expecting another slice of relentless vintage soul sounds, you might be in for a shock, as several tracks from this captivating and inventive album (including the Portishead-esque <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/HEy8fQ-T-UA\">&#8220;Bermejo &amp; The Devil&#8221;<\/a><\/strong><\/span><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">)<\/span> are dystopian, psychedelic and at times, a little unsettling.<\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Oh look, here\u2019s another &#8220;aka&#8221;:&nbsp;<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"><strong>Julian Pitt (aka Armstrong) with his new album,&nbsp;<\/strong><\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u201cHappy Graffiti\u201d. Jointly released by&nbsp;<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"><strong>The Beautiful Music<\/strong><\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">&nbsp;and&nbsp;<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"><strong>Country Mile Records,<\/strong><\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">&nbsp;this is a fine record full of perfectly crafted jangle-pop which could easily have been on Postcard circa 1982. Pitt first came to my attention in 2019 with his gorgeous \u201clost\u201d LP, \u201cUnder Blue Skies\u201d and \u201cHappy Graffiti\u201d carries on in the same vein. It&#8217;s another superb collection of melodic loveliness that I\u2019m certain fans of&nbsp;<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"><strong>Teenage Fanclub<\/strong><\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">,&nbsp;<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"><strong>The Lilac Time,<\/strong><\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">&nbsp;<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"><strong>Aztec Camera<\/strong><\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">,&nbsp;<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"><strong>Belle &amp; Sebastian<\/strong><\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">&nbsp;will adore. Check out and fall in love with \u201c<\/span><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><strong><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/OMps8NvT5aU\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Rock Star Rock Star<\/a><\/strong><\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u201c and \u201c<\/span><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><strong><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/vRZ9ABxS-34\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Happy Someone<\/a><\/strong><\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u201c first and then pop over to Bandcamp and order the full 14 track album&nbsp;<\/span><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><strong><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/armstrong2.bandcamp.com\/album\/happy-graffiti-album\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">here<\/a><\/strong><\/span><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>In January,<span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"><strong> Elvis Costello &amp; The Imposters<\/strong><\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">&nbsp;released their new album \u201cThe Boy Named If\u201d (EMI) to almost universal acclaim. Although I\u2019ll need to give it more time before writing a proper review, after the first few plays, it sounds like a winner &#8211; vintage, spiky and acerbic Costello at his best. Here\u2019s the video for the excellent single, \u201c<\/span><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><strong><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/-s-K2_sFBos\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Magnificent Hurt<\/a><\/strong><\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u201c, complete with puppet Elvis and plenty of punky Hammond organ &#8211; what\u2019s not to like!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">At long last, Virgin Records have remastered and re-released the 1986 \u201cforgotten\u201d <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"><strong>China Crisis<\/strong><\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">&nbsp;album \u201cWhat Price Paradise\u201d. This lovely 3xCD set comprises the original album, a disc of bonus material and a 1987 live recording at The Liverpool Empire. The price of the package was worth it to hear the criminally ignored single \u201c<\/span><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><strong><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/Q7UdUrHAero\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Arizona Sky<\/a><\/strong><\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u201c in all its pristine pop glory again.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">It\u2019s always a pleasure getting emails and messages from new artists who whet the Egg Box whistle. One of those messages was from&nbsp;<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"><strong>Michael Korchia<\/strong><\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">, the bassist and composer in Bordeaux-based 4-piece, <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"><strong>Feutre,&nbsp;<\/strong><\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">asking me if I\u2019d like to hear some of their new songs. Now, even though I speak very little French, I\u2019m a bit of a sucker for their pop music as it often sounds cool and enigmatic, and by listening to it I\u2019m convinced I\u2019ll become cool and enigmatic too. Sadly, according to Mrs Egg Box, it isn\u2019t working. Nevertheless, Feutre\u2019s 10 track debut album \u201cNos Recontres\u201d (<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"><strong>Kocliko Records)<\/strong><\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">&nbsp;really is a cool and enigmatic record, so I\u2019m going to keep playing it irrespective of the (lack of) effect. How does the band sound? I reckon they\u2019ll appeal to fans of&nbsp;<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"><strong>Stereolab<\/strong><\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">,&nbsp;<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"><strong>Broadcast<\/strong><\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">&nbsp;and probably&nbsp;<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"><strong>Saint Etienne<\/strong><\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">&nbsp;too. Here\u2019s a&nbsp;<\/span><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><strong><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/kocliko.bandcamp.com\/album\/kr28-nos-rencontres\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">link to their Bandcamp page<\/a><\/strong><\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">&nbsp;if you fancy buying a copy and hearing a little more. In the meantime, watch and enjoy the videos for \u201c<\/span><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><strong><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/Q43gmkCZrXY\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Pour Oublier<\/a><\/strong><\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u201c and \u201c<\/span><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><strong><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/MiSvYAyktAU\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Apocalypse<\/a><\/strong><\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u201c featuring their rather lovely singer,&nbsp;<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"><strong>Virgine Raynaud<\/strong><\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Annoyingly, as soon as I\u2019ve published my&nbsp;<\/span><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><strong><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/thetwofingers.co.uk\/wp-admin\/post.php?post=2830&#038;action=edit\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">end-of-year review<\/a><\/strong><\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">, I always start discovering lots more music that I\u2019d missed during the previous 12 months. Occasionally, that music is so good that it would definitely have been in the running for an Acoustic Egg Box Top 30 Album spot. In the past couple of weeks, I\u2019ve been alerted to 2 such records:&nbsp;<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"><strong>Paul Bevoir\u2019s<\/strong><\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">&nbsp;\u201cA Balloon To The Moon\u201d&nbsp;<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"><strong>(Accident Records)<\/strong><\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">&nbsp;and&nbsp;<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"><strong>Jim Noir\u2019s<\/strong><\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">&nbsp;\u201cDeep Blue View\u201d&nbsp;<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"><strong>(Dook Recordings)<\/strong><\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">. Paul was a member of English mod-revival band&nbsp;<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"><strong>Jetset<\/strong><\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">&nbsp;back in the 80s, but now writes timeless and beautiful 3-minute pop songs such as \u201c<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"><strong><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/bNdbIDypnvc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">This Time<\/a><\/strong><\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u201c (which to these ears bears a passing resemblance to the 70s Andrew Gold classic, \u201cNever Let Her Slip Away\u201d).&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">This month\u2019s other \u201cgreat-missed-record\u201d is from Manchester&#8217;s immensely talented singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"><strong>Alan Roberts (aka Jim Noir<\/strong><\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">), who has been releasing outstanding albums since \u201cTower Of Love\u201d back in 2005. His last 2 LPs: \u201cFinnish Line\u201d (2014) and A.M. Jazz (2019), both sit proudly on my shelves, but somehow his latest evaded my ears throughout 2021. \u201cDeep Blue View\u201d marks something of a departure from Noir&#8217;s catchy and melodic 60s style power-pop as the sweeping orchestral synths, infuses the album with a dreamy, gently psychedelic feel. Lose yourself in the swoonsome <\/span><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><strong><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/4Gz8Phn8sEU\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">title track<\/a><\/strong><\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> &#8211; a 6-minute oceanic soundscape that will help soothe your troubles away. If you\u2019re a fan of <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"><strong>The Beach Boys<\/strong><\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">&nbsp;and&nbsp;<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"><strong>The High Llamas, you\u2019re going to<\/strong><\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">&nbsp;love it. You will find Jim\u2019s Bandcamp page detailing the release by clicking&nbsp;<\/span><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><strong><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/jimnoirmusic.bandcamp.com\/album\/deep-blue-view?fbclid=IwAR0-IGQtx0KHFgN-cXnQ1NGcu-UXin7nC8l1FHfCOTwInzm2SeL32YEQOUk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">here<\/a><\/strong><\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<h5><strong>WATCHING&#8230;<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>I don\u2019t want to get into a political debate about the TV license fee (well, I do, but there\u2019s a time and a place and it won\u2019t be in this blog post) but in my opinion, the superb quality of programmes the BBC still regularly produce is worth every penny of it. And that\u2019s without even touching on the brilliant radio stations the fee also covers&#8230;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/thetwofingers.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/The-Tourist-e1644859993833.jpg\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-2982\" alt=\"\" width=\"100\" height=\"150\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">So, bearing in mind my opening statement, I\u2019m happy to announce that 2 of my favourite dramas so far this year are both BBC productions. First,&nbsp;<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"><strong>\u201cThe Tourist\u201d <\/strong><\/span>(<span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/9j_StJNMtu0\">watch the trailer here<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/span>)<span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">. Without revealing any plot spoilers, the brilliant&nbsp;<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"><strong>Jamie Dornan\u2019s<\/strong><\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">&nbsp;character (let\u2019s call him \u201cThe Man\u201d) regains consciousness in hospital suffering from total amnesia after a car crash in the Australian outback. What follows is a 6 part off-the-wall crime thriller full of fascinating characters who continually bewilder us with their unpredictable actions and revelations. Throughout this 360-minute buffeting gale of a series, there are more twists, turns and moments of black, almost Pythonesque humour than you can throw a kangaroo at. It really is a non-stop, breathless affair that the Coen Brothers would be proud to call their own. Oh yes, and although Luci&nbsp;<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"><strong>(Shalom-Brune Franklin)<\/strong><\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">&nbsp;is the beautiful love interest, if you don\u2019t fall for hapless Probationary Police Constable Helen Chambers&nbsp;<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"><strong>(Danielle Macdonald)<\/strong><\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> by the end of the final episode, then you\u2019ve almost certainly got a heart of stone.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/thetwofingers.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/The-Responder-e1644866344688.jpg\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-2984\" alt=\"\" width=\"169\" height=\"100\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Next up is&nbsp;<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"><strong>\u201cThe Responder\u201d <\/strong><\/span>(<span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/mZYc3l9BfPw\">watch the trailer here<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/span>)<span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">&nbsp;&#8211; an exceptional 5-part Liverpool based police drama about first-response copper Chris Carson&nbsp;<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"><strong>(Martin Freeman)<\/strong><\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">&nbsp;who is teetering on the edge of a complete mental breakdown. Carson may (or may not) also be a wee bit corrupt. Unravelling by the second, not only is he trying to keep on top of his high-stress job, he\u2019s also trying to save his crumbling marriage and pay for his dying mother\u2019s care. He gets increasingly drawn into a life-or-death situation involving murderous drug dealers and a young addict, Casey&nbsp;<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"><strong>(Emily Fairn)<\/strong><\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">, who has nicked a holdall full of coke from Carson\u2019s \u201cfriend\u201d, Carl (Ian Hart). To make matters worse, Carson gets reluctantly crewed with a young rookie, Rachel&nbsp;<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"><strong>(Adelayo Adedayo),<\/strong><\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">&nbsp;who is being pressured to inform on him. The writer\/ creator of this magnificent series is ex Merseyside police officer&nbsp;<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"><strong>Tony Schumacher. Whilst&nbsp;<\/strong><\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">keeping us on the edge of our seats with the rollercoaster action and constant sense of impending doom, he also captures the very essence of humanity at its most desperate and vulnerable. If Martin Freeman doesn\u2019t win multiple awards for his outstanding performance, then the world really has gone mad!&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/thetwofingers.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Ozark-e1644868005848.jpg\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-2985\" alt=\"\" width=\"178\" height=\"100\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The best non-BBC series we watched in January was the 7-episode \u201cpart-one\u201d of the 4th and final season of&nbsp;<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"><strong>\u201cOzark\u201d&nbsp;<\/strong><\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">(Netflix). Because of its complex plot lines and a conveyor belt of brilliant characters (who have a habit of being murdered or disappearing), if you\u2019ve never watched, I can\u2019t even begin to tell you what it\u2019s all about in any great depth. Here\u2019s a very brief overview though: after a drug deal goes disastrously wrong, the central characters, accountant Marty Byrde&nbsp;<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"><strong>(Jason Bateman)<\/strong><\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">, his wife Wendy&nbsp;<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"><strong>(Laura Linney)<\/strong><\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">&nbsp;and their 2 kids, move from Chicago to The Ozark Lakes in Missouri to launder money for a Mexican cartel. You will just have to trust me when I tell you that everything about it is extraordinarily good, including the spectacular scenery. For me, it\u2019s the best American drama since&nbsp;<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"><strong>\u201cBreaking Bad\u201d<\/strong><\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">&nbsp;(and its spin-off&nbsp;<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"><strong>\u201cBetter Call Saul\u201d<\/strong><\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/thetwofingers.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Belfast-Poster-e1644950391549.jpg\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-2988\" alt=\"\" width=\"100\" height=\"143\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">At the beginning of February, Mrs Egg Box and I took a rare trip to the cinema to watch the Oscar-nominated&nbsp;<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"><strong>\u201cBelfast\u201d <\/strong><\/span>(<span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/Ja3PPOnJQ2k\">watch the trailer here<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/span>)<span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">. Now, as I\u2019ve never been to Belfast and I\u2019m not Catholic or Protestant, my Irish friends of a certain age will know how realistic this 1969 depiction of their city is. But for me, born in \u201863 (I know, you can\u2019t believe it!), I thought it was a beautiful snapshot of the era (if not the place) in which I grew up. The story revolves around Buddy (<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"><strong>Jude Hill<\/strong><\/span>),<span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">&nbsp;a 9-year-old semi-autobiographical depiction of director&nbsp;<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"><strong>Sir Kenneth Branagh.<\/strong><\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">&nbsp;The action (filmed in black and white) largely takes place in and around a fictitious, and undoubtedly whimsical and stylised version of Mountcollyer Street. It\u2019s where the Protestant Branagh family originally lived alongside their Catholic neighbours &#8211; until sectarianism and the ensuing violence saw peace shattered. I\u2019ve seen reviews criticising the movie\u2019s depiction of this brutal period, claiming that it glosses over the terror and destruction in favour of a \u201csaccharin sweet\u201d version of events. The reviewers may have a point if the story was told from the <\/span>perspective<span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> of the paramilitary or the security forces, but it\u2019s not, it\u2019s Buddy\u2019s adventure, and in his young world the streets are his playground, not a war-zone. Whilst the adorable&nbsp;<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"><strong>Jude Hill (<\/strong><\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">appearing in his first major film role), is the undoubted star,&nbsp;<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"><strong>Jamie Dornan<\/strong><\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">&nbsp;(Pa),&nbsp;<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"><strong>Caitriona Balfe<\/strong><\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">&nbsp;(Ma),&nbsp;<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"><strong>Judi Dench<\/strong><\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">&nbsp;(Granny) and<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"><strong>&nbsp;Ciaran Hinds<\/strong><\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> (Pop) all put in fantastic performances &#8211; as does the perfect soundtrack from the city\u2019s favourite grumpy old bastard, Van Morrison.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q\">\n<div dir=\"auto\"><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/thetwofingers.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Dont-Look-Up-Poster-e1644956263962.jpg\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-2991\" alt=\"\" width=\"73\" height=\"130\"><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Another Oscar-nominated effort,<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"><strong> \u201cDon\u2019t Look Up\u201d <\/strong><\/span>(<span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/RbIxYm3mKzI\">watch the trailer here<\/a><\/strong><\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"><strong>)<\/strong><\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">&nbsp;has certainly divided critical opinion, but I loved it. If you don\u2019t know yet, it\u2019s a satirical, often hilarious, disaster movie. It\u2019s also a prescient commentary on modern society\u2019s obsession with social media, fake news and conspiracy-driven misinformation. Dr Randall Mindy (<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"><strong>Leonardo DiCaprio<\/strong><\/span>)<span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">&nbsp;and Kate Dibiasky (<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"><strong>Jennifer Lawrence<\/strong><\/span>)<span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">&nbsp;both play outstanding, darkly humorous roles as 2 scientists who discover an earthbound, extinction-level comet the size of Mount Everest.&nbsp;<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"><strong>Meryl Streep\u2019s<\/strong><\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">&nbsp;brilliant turn as President Orlean &#8211; a thinly veiled Trumpian, get-me-re-elected-at-all-costs, character, and&nbsp;<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"><strong>Mark Rylance\u2019s<\/strong><\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> wicked parody of Musk\/ Zuckerburg hybrid, Peter Isherwell are both laugh-out-loud cringeworthy. So, if you decide to ignore the bad (and wrong) reviews and give it a go, watch right through the end credits as there are a few not to be missed scenes tucked away in there.<\/span><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h5><strong>READING&#8230;<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/thetwofingers.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Books-feb-2022-1-254x300.jpg\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-2976\" width=\"254\" height=\"300\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/theacousticeggbox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Books-feb-2022-1-254x300.jpg 254w, https:\/\/theacousticeggbox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Books-feb-2022-1-867x1024.jpg 867w, https:\/\/theacousticeggbox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Books-feb-2022-1-768x907.jpg 768w, https:\/\/theacousticeggbox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Books-feb-2022-1-1300x1536.jpg 1300w, https:\/\/theacousticeggbox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Books-feb-2022-1.jpg 1727w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 254px) 100vw, 254px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">As you can see, my reading matter since Christmas has been somewhat eclectic. Because of the enjoyable, but unhealthy, excesses of the holiday season, I decided I should at least try to rejuvenate my overstrung mind and dilapidated body. So, armed with&nbsp;<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"><strong>John Weiler\u2019s,<\/strong><\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">&nbsp;<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"><strong>\u201cAn Ordinary Dude\u2019s Guide To Meditation\u201d<\/strong><\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">&nbsp;and record-breaking Olympian swimmer,&nbsp;<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"><strong>Adam Peaty\u2019s<\/strong><\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">&nbsp;motivational memoirs, \u201c<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"><strong>The Gladiator Mindset<\/strong><\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u201c, I\u2019ve started my journey to physical perfection and mental nirvana. Sadly, after 3 days, I injured my knee walking up the stairs and my mind is doing overtime worrying about Wordle. Seriously though, I\u2019ve practiced meditation before and it really works. But, for those of you that haven\u2019t, as it states on the cover, Weiler\u2019s excellent little guide teaches you \u201chow to meditate easily &#8211; without the religion, fluff, or hippie stuff\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Britain\u2019s<span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"><strong> Adam Peaty<\/strong><\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">&nbsp;is an enigma. He\u2019s broken 14 world records and was the 1st man to swim the 50m breaststroke in under 26 seconds and the 100m breaststroke in under 58, then 57, seconds. He also meditates (see above!), spends a ridiculous amount of time training, and has the mental and physical strength of a gladiator. His book not only serves as a fascinating memoir (believe me, he\u2019s packed a huge amount into his 27 years), it also offers advice and tips on how to improve your performance in whatever field you work or compete in. I appreciate that \u201cself-help\u201d books aren\u2019t for everyone, but Peaty is such an interesting and inspirational character that this is a great read, anyway.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"><strong>Will Smith<\/strong><\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">&nbsp;has a new autobiography out called \u201c<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"><strong>Will<\/strong><\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u201c. It\u2019s co-written with self-help (there\u2019s that divisive epithet again) author,&nbsp;<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"><strong>Mark Manson<\/strong><\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">, who has himself released 3 books, including his excellent debut, \u201c<\/span><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><strong><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/markmanson.net\/not-giving-a-fuck\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Subtle Art Of Not Giving A Fuck<\/a><\/strong><\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u201c. I\u2019m going to start by saying that I genuinely enjoyed reading \u201cWill\u201d, but&#8230; whilst I went into it thinking that Smith was charming, funny and self-deprecating, I finished it realising that he\u2019s (possibly) charming and funny but also breathtakingly fucking arrogant and also a bit of a tit (albeit a tit who\u2019s one of the most successful recording artists and movie stars of all time). It\u2019s a real rags to riches to rags to riches tale. We learn about Smith\u2019s formative years growing up in Philadelphia, his relationship with his father and his father\u2019s relationship with his mother (which is central to understanding Smith\u2019s psyche); his unswerving belief that he would be a huge pop star (he was as part of rap duo&nbsp;<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"><strong>DJ Jazzy Jeff &amp; The Fresh Prince<\/strong><\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">); his fall from grace with a crap second album; his rise to teenage acting stardom in&nbsp;<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"><strong>The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air<\/strong><\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">; his stratospheric ascent to Hollywood greatness; how \u201c<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"><strong>Men In Black\u201d<\/strong><\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">&nbsp;became a \u201cthing\u201d; how he released even more million-selling hit singles and on and on and on. Will Smith was, literally, EVERYWHERE you looked. And on what seems like every other page of the book, he simply cannot wait to tell us just how EVERYWHERE and ENORMOUS and SUCCESSFUL he is. This is all very well, but it gets a tiny bit tiresome during the final 400 pages. And yet, despite all of Smith\u2019s braggadocio and hubris, this is still an extremely entertaining read and a glimpse into the fucked up world of mega-stardom.<\/span><\/p>\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">In my humble opinion,&nbsp;<strong>Robert Tressell\u2019s<\/strong>,&nbsp;<strong>\u201cThe Ragged Trousered Philanthropists\u201d,<\/strong>&nbsp;is one of the greatest books ever written. His novel, set in the fictional town of Mugsborough during the early years of the 20th century, tells the story of a group of politically naive working-class men who are gradually enlightened by journeyman socialist Frank Owen. Over the years, I\u2019ve given away several copies of the book and don\u2019t currently own one because I donated it to a worthy cause a few weeks ago. So, you can imagine my delight when I heard about this wonderful new adaptation of Tressell\u2019s masterpiece just before Christmas. It\u2019s a stunning \u201cgraphic\u201d interpretation produced by sisters,&nbsp;<strong>Scarlett and Sophie Rickard<\/strong>&nbsp;(Scarlett is the illustrator and Sophie the writer) and brings to life the characters and scenes from the book in beautiful colour. Yes, it\u2019s a book about socialism. Yes, some of you will hate that fact. Yes, you should read it before you decide you hate it (\u2018cos you might become enlightened too). And anyway, come The Egg Box Revolution, I\u2019m going to insist that this version is added to the school curriculum the length and breadth of the country! If you\u2019d like to find out a little more about Scarlett and Sophie and buy a copy of the book directly from them, you\u2019ll find a link to their website&nbsp;<strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><a href=\"https:\/\/rickardsisters.com\/our-books\/the-ragged-trousered-philanthropists\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">here<\/a><\/span>.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>If you&#8217;ve made it this far, thanks for reading. If you have any comments or suggestions, drop me a line.<\/p>\n<p>See you soon!<\/p>\n<p>Ian<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I started these &#8220;Egg Box Essentials&#8221; features last year with the full intention of writing one a month to highlight any interesting titbits I&#8217;d heard, watched or read. The two I did put out before a foggy, pandemic-induced malaise robbed me of inspiration, were both well received, and so, armed with a renewed (and hopefully [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2915,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center 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center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[16,20,21,29,36,47,56,58,70,72,78,80,104,114,127,148,151,168,186,207,211,213,238,242,243,256,258,304,330,334,338,344,354,358,360,361,363,373,380,383,394,425,426,429,441,447,455,501,518,525,547,570,588,596,601,609,614,623,628,663,670,672,691,692,699,701,712,722,723,731,733,753,770,786,787],"class_list":["post-2913","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-music","tag-accident-records","tag-adam-peaty","tag-adelayo-adedayo","tag-alan-peter-roberts","tag-an-ordinary-dudes-guide-to-meditation","tag-armstrong","tag-ato-records","tag-aztec-camera","tag-belfast","tag-belle-sebastian","tag-better-call-saul","tag-big-crown-records","tag-breaking-bad","tag-broadcast","tag-caitriona-balfe","tag-china-crisis","tag-ciaran-hinds","tag-country-mile-records","tag-danielle-macdonald","tag-dj-jazzy-jeff-the-fresh-prince","tag-dont-look-up","tag-dook-recordings","tag-elvis-costello","tag-emi","tag-emily-fairn","tag-father-john-misty","tag-feutre","tag-ian-hart","tag-jamie-dornan","tag-jason-bateman","tag-jennifer-lawrence","tag-jim-noir","tag-john-weiler","tag-josh-tillman","tag-jude-hill","tag-judy-dench","tag-julian-pitt","tag-kocliko-records","tag-lady-wray","tag-laura-linney","tag-leonardo-dicaprio","tag-mark-manson","tag-mark-rylance","tag-martin-freeman","tag-men-in-black","tag-meryl-streep","tag-michael-korchia","tag-nicole-wray","tag-ozark","tag-paul-bevoir","tag-postcard-records","tag-robert-tressell","tag-saint-etienne","tag-scarlett-rickard","tag-shalom-brune-franklin","tag-sir-kenneth-branagh","tag-sophie-rickard","tag-st-paul-the-broken-bones","tag-stereolab","tag-teenage-fanclub","tag-the-beach-boys","tag-the-beautiful-music","tag-the-fresh-prince-of-bel-air","tag-the-gladiator-mindset","tag-the-high-llamas","tag-the-imposters","tag-the-lilac-time","tag-the-ragged-trousered-philanthropists","tag-the-responder","tag-the-subtle-art-of-not-giving-a-fuck","tag-the-tourist","tag-tony-schumacher","tag-virgine-raynaud","tag-will","tag-will-smith"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/theacousticeggbox.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2913","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/theacousticeggbox.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/theacousticeggbox.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theacousticeggbox.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theacousticeggbox.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2913"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/theacousticeggbox.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2913\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theacousticeggbox.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2915"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/theacousticeggbox.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2913"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theacousticeggbox.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2913"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theacousticeggbox.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2913"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}