But Lelio still offers enough to pass the time breezily, swapping the fear and pessimism often associated with the process of growing older for something altogether more hopeful and youthful. Outsider commented on The Needle Drops Top 50 Albums of 2021. The film belongs to Moore, and it does make you wonder what it could look like under a fresh pair of eyes directing this talent while colouring a more inspiring landscape with a new story. 808s, despite its myriad flaws, is both a reflection of the hard times West has suffered through and a testament to his artistic fortitude. She’s the kind of performer you could watch forever, bringing generosity to mundanity and making every tacky needle drop sound like a generational anthem. This feeling might be less obvious if Moore wasn’t so luminous.
Efforts to shade Gloria’s world with more recognisable anxiety – about loneliness, about physical beauty – make it lose in colour, and the more difficult moments aren’t quite visceral enough to communicate pain, instead just delaying all the good times she could be having. The in-between moments of the film, when the party stops and her smile rests, have much less to offer. One thing I love about Math Rock in general, but especially Polyphia and this album, is that its always complex and interesting. But ultimately we realise their emotional thresholds are imbalanced, and that Gloria is always at her best when she’s following her heart alone. New Levels New Devils by Polyphia was essentially my introduction to the world of Math Rock, barring a few meme songs that I never paid much mind to, and Im very glad I discovered it. But while eyes meet across the bar, it’s mainly circumstance that brings the pair together – they’ve both known heartbreak and had families, age is a number they know all too well. She loves to dance but also loves to love, and so when Gloria meets Arnold (John Turturro, on charming form), a fellow divorcé, her happiness blooms and is shared nicely for a while.