Single Review: Drag Me Down by One Direction

If you're a One Direction fan you're more than likely to have woken up this morning in a state of unequalled frenzy, given hardly fair warning to the announcement of One Direction's latest single, Drag Me Down. This is the band's first music release where Zayn's vocals and especial ad-libs have not been present. Whilst admittedly moving into more of a rock scene has left my interests in the pop world astray, I didn't hesitate to give this song a try. Immediately it seems this is a song similar to any other One Direction track: there's fluidity in the vocal range and the chorus is upbeat and catchy, enough to drive the song forward and instil a euphoric state of mind within the listener; So not much different here. Yet what probably makes the song disparate in the way of style is how the more you come to listen to the track, the more it catches on and you begin to feel yourself slipping into the rhythmic beat.

Drag Me Down has undertones of a techno track, showing the band's maturity and movement into a music genre which is becoming increasingly popular. The addition of synth sounds seems multiplied to establish this development and ultimately surprise former listeners. The fact the opening is slow and controlled before the bass cuts in shows the band are essentially trying to make this track an upbeat, summer anthem of a tune. 

In a nutshell, this is a love song. Lyrically it is soft and full of the 'crush' fantasies of a love-induced teenager which is a very characteristic boy band inspiration, something of which we are sure to expect from One Direction songs. But the melody does help to level this song as something more than a track befitting of the 'romance genre'. Yes, we find the metaphors conventional of such tunes, "baby you're my boat" which admittedly sound played out and in all best efforts, orthodox and dare I say it, cheesy. However, the songs do offer some retribution from this with some more unusual and heart-felt metaphors, "I've got fire for a heart", "I got a river for a soul".

At the end of the day this is a band whose target audience primarily lies with young teens, and whilst many people like myself (classified into the young adult bracket) can be said to be the primary supporters of this band, the songs will nevertheless continue to be aimed at a younger audience, meaning that they are bound to forego stories of love interests and heartbreak. Eventually there will come a time when love songs aren't enough, at least for the current generation and that is where we find the criticism for the band: not necessarily for their talent, which is wholesomely rich, but in the matter of their songs and the vivacity with which they are performed.  In my opinion, Drag Me Down is quite a lot different from the tracks taken from their last album, Four, and that is why it appeals to me. If you're someone who is sceptical of the band's sense of originality in the track and their music in general then there's all the more reason to check this out.

Drag Me Down is out now on iTunes.

Penny Dreadful: Characters, Cast and Conventions of the Gothic Genre

Having experienced my first ever comic con on Sunday I've been re-watching Gothic series, Penny Dreadful, racking my brains over reasons why and how the series leaves me utterly confounded by the scenes constructed. For one, the mere illumination of the Gothic genre makes this series all the more compelling and and vastly unique when compared to fantasy series like Game of Thrones and contending films of a familiar genre (which are consequently more often explored than the Gothic genre); it's set in a dark and foreboding Victorian London: hardly exotic, yet it still holds a fermenting reality that's unlike the now familiar fantasy realms. The collision of infamous literary characters woven into the fabric of Victorian London has allowed John Logan to create a masterpiece of programs, where fans of the accredited Gothic novels can find refuge in this carefully constructed art form. There are many key aspects to consider when it comes to this series, notably because not only does the cinematography, set and score  have to live up to our expectations for a high-end series, but also in delving into a territory birthed in the late 19th century, how the programme both subverts and conforms to the conventions of the Gothic genre and to what degree the characters are portrayed, is equally as vital to the plot.

Cast & Characters

Meeting an actor is a lot different to meeting a music artist. So when I met both Reeve Carney and Harry Treadaway on Sunday the experience was altogether new and exhilarating. What's most intriguing however is that in meeting the actors I was able to get a glimpse of the real people behind the screen and essentially see, for myself, how they present themselves through their own idiosyncratic actions and tone of voice. Both actors were sincere and amiable in their nature and mildly disparate from the characters they play. After having watched some of the first few episodes again, I have now come to see the actors actually playing their characters rather than just being the characters. And although this might seem bad, it means that seeing them for who they are has enabled me to see that they have incredible acting prowess. When I watch Harry play Frankenstein, I can see that he puts his all into creating such a conflicted character, provoking an array of emotions simply to beget the fear, sadness and longing suffered by Frankenstein. As for Reeve, even the mere drop of his gaze means so much when it comes to bringing the intensity and sensuality needed to bring Dorian to life. The careful gesture of his hand and the slight inclination of the head makes all the difference with this character, and just as Harry does with Frankenstein, Reeve does this exceptionally well.

• Frankenstein- In Penny Dreadful, we find John Logan exploring Harry's character in an extremely provocative way, showing that Frankenstein is a character who not only suffers from the result of his endeavours (to create a being that now only haunts his every step), but yearns for the compassion of a lover, to return him from the frailty and bleakness of his tormented life. We also find the strong determination rooted in his belief in the revolution of medics and the divide between life and death. Essentially, this is a character built to feel pathos for: for his inner demons and weakness of mind and body. The sheer smart-mouthed and quite frankly sassy demeanour upheld by Frankenstein as he expostulates with Ethan Chandler is yet another reason why it is hard not to fall in love with Logan's illumination of Shelley's classic, Frankenstein.

• Dorian Gray-Dorian Gray is a character momentous of his sensuality and ability to classically  entrance other characters and the reader/ viewer. In Penny Dreadful, we find that the score and use of lighting and shots help to eclipse the horror of the Gothic world, to instead focus on Dorian's coquettish nature. Having met Reeve, under first impressions it's not hard to see that his familiarity with the character rests mostly on the clothes, which although modernised, seem to inspire the character of Dorian Gray. It's the unique individuality and dual-personality of a man interested in the luxuries of life yet someone who shackles away a residing demon that has allowed Reeve to truly reach his potential with this role. A simplest gesture has the power to highlight the serenity surrounding Dorian which altogether makes him enigmatic and estranged from the characters that like most people interested in the Gothic world, would have felt heavily drawn to. Furthermore, during the first series the use of shallow focus, close up shots of the shot-reverse-shots between Dorian and Vanessa seemed to help extend the illusion that Reeve was unblinking, making Dorian and Vanessa's infatuation with one another all the more significant.

What fundamentally makes both actors serve as profound artists in this series is their adaptation of the literary characters. One cannot be compared with the other between bounds of which is better because they are simply binary opposites; Frankenstein is traumatised and ironically weak and powerless, despite his ability to almost 'play God' and so naturally shows frailty but strength in his belief in the search for knowledge. As a doctor, the use of extreme close up shots is necessary to show the delicacy of his work whereas although we see this precision with Dorian, Dorian is a character whose very nature is to be soft, and graceful, but sly also. This is much more divergent with Frankenstein who in comparison, appears less graceful and more clumsy in spite of his medical ability. Both actors however play their characters superbly well, taking on their mannerisms and creating persona's that are strikingly different from their own.

Setting & Costume/ MUA

Decidedly being set in the late 19th century, Victorian London, constructing a live and authentic environment is fundamental in upholding the verisimilitude of the series, really grinding in the viscous reality faced by the characters. Penny Dreadful offers remarkable sets, that astoundingly produce as many sensations as would have been expected to be found back in the late 1800s, showing that the team behind it certainly have a practised eye for sticking to historical accuracy. Even the clothes alone are icons of power, important in providing our reading of characters' class and position in society. The late 1800s was a time when the socialist vs capitalist debate was coming into people's minds, much like the later bid for women's votes. Evidently it was a time of dramatic social change. Here in Penny Dreadful the Gothic world truly shows that it's ready to challenge the comfortable expectations once fashioned by early society.

Conventions of the Gothic genre

A Gothic novel is bound to contain several of the following conventions:

• Antagonist vs. Protagonist theme (Good vs. Evil)
• A monster
• Be set in an isolated area or decadent building
• Set in and around the 19th century/ early 20th century
• Dreary weather

As a culmination of several Gothic novels, Penny Dreadful is filtered with a rise in tension between both good and evil forces. Monsters lurk in every corner, whether it be the sad, isolated, yet poisoned mind of Frankenstein's monster (John Clare) or the vampires, werewolves and witches that fretfully taunt the minds of the Londoners, incapable of understanding the world in any way other than fear. As for the decadence and brilliance of Sir Malcolm's home in London where the story resides, the architecture is grand but also Gothic in it's structure, making it an ideal location for any haunted story. We also find the isolated, shabby and worn home inhabited by Vanessa and Ethan in series 2 which yet again shows that Penny Dreadful conforms to the remote, uninhabited location which only makes the threat of unspeakable dangers closer and more terrifying. 

All in all, Penny Dreadful is much like the books it unravels: timeless and ruthless in how it neither shies away from the debauchery and horrors of the Gothic genre nor refrains from delving into the characters' stories and searching for the inner demons among us all. The only criticism I could give this series is the odd continuity error found on several accounts when I happened to be watching where one character's movement would match up with the next shot. However it is a pitfall even the greatest of directors struggles to avoid and seeming as the process of filming is such a long one, I can't stress enough how insignificant this becomes when matched with the collation of a provocative and emphatic script, score and intelligible use of cinematography. This is a truly inspiring series not to be taken lightly at all.

London Film and Comic Con Vlog

Pretty much another video of me rambling on about my life, this time about going to my FIRST EVER COMIC CON. Moral of the story here is that is was so fudging awesome and now I'm a little too obsessed with Penny Dreadful to care about anything else...hope you enjoy!

Original poem!

So I'm extremely passionate about Gothic literature which is something I'd really like to illuminate for as long as I live on this planet, and very recently I decided to have a go at writing some poetry from the perspective of Frankenstein's monster (who I absolutely adore). Let's be honest, poetry is not my stronghold but I had a go and in an attempt to enter a spoken word competition, I did a recitation of my own creation, Father. Essentially the poem works with the theme, home. Hope you enjoy! Video below.

Thoughts on AHS Season 1...

A little bit random, but hey, weird people are the best and 'normal people scare me'

Book Review: My Secret Rockstar Boyfriend by Eleanor Wood (for Maximum Pop)

‘Expect lots of feels’ Wilhelmina reviews Eleanor Wood’s ‘My Secret Rockstar Boyfriend’. http://t.co/TxCXK6Vqao

— Maximum Pop! (@maximumpop) July 3, 2015

Album Review: Act Two by Collabro

As I sit with my laptop sat securely in my lap and a warm tea waiting for me, I can't help but notice the soft serenity basking the theatre show being broadcasted on my TV. Katherine Jenkins, a widely recognised musician in the classical world, renowned for her dulcet tone of voice and unique breadth of pitch, leaves the stage to introduce forward male-band, Collabro. The name rings a bell but as each young man stands before the audience, no measure of familiarity registers in my mind. It isn't until I'm later told by my father that this is Collabro, the winning act of Britain's Got Talent 2014.

Their performance was effortlessly executed, with a perfectly cathartic shrill, something which is reflected in their second and most recent album, Act Two, where we find that Collabro have made a graceful leap into a profound territory as an increasingly established band, surpassing the success of their debut album, Stars. I was obviously compelled to have a listen, but rather than finding a conflict of invariably good and yet bad songs, as I've come to expect from most albums (since after all, music is regrettably subjective and not every song is sure to fit your taste), I was proudly surprised to find that each and every song had a character that could not in any way be passed off with the labels, boring or unpleasant. Operatic music has never been more revolutionised and relevant to our culture since the introduction of artists such as Collabro.

Stars was an album punctuated with mainstream songs, sung in a quirky and especial way, distinctive of this classical act. But what's made the second album more effective is that they've come together to yet again, transform these powerful ballads such as 'All Of Me' and 'I Won't Give Up', but then paired these with some of the most dramatic theatrical and film score music out there, in order to reach out to both a contemporary and older audience at the same time. They delivered the talent needed to spike the interest of the younger generation with Stars but here, they pull at our poignant memories with the languid and striking music which, at least for me, is significant in how the songs fundamentally marked my childhood. 'Memories' and 'Music Of The Night' are both performed with the care I expect they ought to be given. The harmonies are enrapturing too, drifting in the air like the soft caress of an ocean breeze. With each minute that goes by, it feels as if you're pulling at silk, which is slowly slipping from your hands as you endeavour to savour the songs, luxuriating in the vocals and string quartet which when combined, develops pathos, yearning and an immense sensation of great loss but triumph and comfort.

'I Dreamed A Dream' is one of the most iconic songs to brace the album which although an over-exposed track, is timeless and well-performed by the band who clearly sing with appropriated use of tone. However, if any song could be criticised, then at least in my opinion, it would have to be Collabro's cover of 'Circle of Life'. This is a song that requires high zest and enthusiasm to accomplish well in performance. Collabro are mightily talented at singing with ardour in their spirits but I felt the song fell short of my expectations for a track which is famous for how it sanctifies the bounty of life and life's accomplishments. The opening was powerful but I found myself willing the music to reach a climax which never came. In rock songs this is created through the guitar riffs or the eccentric cry of emotion, whereas this may be marked in other classical songs with the rise in pitch and stretching of a note that leave the artist/s sounding utterly overwrought with emotion. That's exactly what I was looking to pin-point but sadly this wasn't something I found (at least in a striking way).

All in all, Collabro are a skilful act that have shown classical music can still have significance in this ever-changing music industry, driven by a pop-mad audience. They also retain a beautiful sense of power and strength through the masculine tone of voice which is a rarity among music today. Not to say that other male singers sound weak or effeminate but that just as you find in literature, where gentlemen would have conformed to the stereotypical masculine archetype, Collabro epitomise classical music and the stereotypical masculine 'voice'.* As said, not every song on the album will satisfy your tastes but with only one song as a slight concern for me, I have no doubt that as the band develops, they'll only get better and progress so much so that soon, it'll be hard to lay out any further improvements.

Act Two is out now and can be bought from iTunes, or at your local music store.

*That probably sounds entirely incomprehensible. Don't worry, I'm not aiming to be sexist by saying a man should act or sound according to their archetypal stereotype but simply that it is common within the classical genre, which is seen by some people as 'outdated' or 'old-fashioned', to find the man sounding powerful with a deep tonal range, whilst a woman sounds sweet and yet astonishingly powerful, with a high tonal range.