TV Review: Awkward. - "The Adventures of Aunt Ally and the Lil' Bitch"

Season 1 - Episode 8

MTV (UK)

Awkward. (including that pesky full stop) is a strange little show. I must admit to stumbling into watching it when there was nothing else on one night, and have been hooked ever since. It also helps that this seemingly sweet high school comedy drama is viciously biting, dark and cringingly funny. And it's getting better with every episode.

"The Adventures..." sees Jenna throwing (with the help of her mum and her mum's BFF) a wild, drink and drug fuelled party in order to impress the object of her affection, Matty. Of course, things don't go to plan, as she wakes up knowing that she kissed someone, but has no idea who. Matty? Jake (the other popular guy she accidentally shared a kiss with previously) or someone else? Ashley Rickards plays the part extremely well as Jenna experiences flashbacks before a Facebook photo reveals the secret.

While this episode was nowhere near as cutting as previous ones have been, the progression in the narrative has taken this show a long way. Awkward. is one of the surprise packages of the year, "The Adventures..." carries on the promising trend.

****

TV Review: Bored to Death - "Gumball"

Season 3 - Episode 2

HBO (US)

After last week's cliffhanger with Jonathan hanging from a giant clock having been framed for murder, it was difficult to predict what direction this episode would take. Ray's heroic rescuse followed by Ray, Jonathan and George in bed together wearing matching pyjamas gave a great idea (as well as one of the single funniest images I've ever seen. Then the next twenty minutes twisted and turned all over the place, never dropping a beat.

This is the best episode that the consistantly funny Bored to Death has ever done. The central trio of characters are an eclectic bunch, each with their own brilliant character traits - Ted Danson's portrayal of a paranoid, stoned George riding a bike up to a large carousel being everything that character should be - and each one of them adds a little something to the tale (and it's always nice to see Patton Oswald as the spy dealer Howard too).

The plot of this episode is gloriously silly, the 50s noir style seems to have been turned up a notch this season (which gets no complaints from me) but it really works, and keeps you guessing - and laughing - until the end. Bored to Death has had a strong start to its third season, let's hope it continues.

**** 1/2

TV Review: How I Met Your Mother - "Mystery vs History"

Season 7 - Episode 6

CBS (US)

How I met Your Mother is now a show a quarter of the way through its seventh season. And guess what, we're no closer to finding out who the mother is, or how Ted met her. While the early episodes of the season seemed to hint that this may be coming, the last few weks have shyied away from the idea again. However, this can be excused when they produce good episodes. Which this thankfully is. For the most part.

The main plot of Ted realising it's now almost impossible to date without the internet, and how technology rules us all is both funny and irritatingly true. With his friends having done background checks on previous potential partners with disasterous results, Ted wants nothing to do with such checks. While on his date, he finally concedes... and the outcome is disasterous. But not in the way you think.

The b-plot (by default because it just seemed to be the second in the order, although both got pretty equal times) resulted in the rest of the gang (plus Robin's new boyfriend Kevin, played by a charming, but underutilised Kal Penn) painting Lily and Marshall's nursery. Painting it a rather disgusting yellow, because they don't want to find out the baby's gender before it's born. Barney (still wearing the ducky tie - the longer he wears it, the funnier it's getting) of course wants to know. While this leads to a touching scene at the end when the two stories come together, parts of this plot seemed forced - especially the Robin flashbacks (although it is always nice to see Ray Wise as Robin's dad).

All in all, it's a pretty successful episode of a show which is still managing to be funny despite seemingly having lost its entire premise long ago. A bit more focus, and we can maybe get back to the glory days of seasons 2-4.

*** 1/2

TV Review: 2 Broke Girls - "And the 90s Horse Party"

Season 1 - Episode 5

CBS (US)

2 Broke Girls has had a solid, if unspectacular start to its run thus far. It's been funny without being hilarious, and while many of its jokes have been good, there have been almost as many that have fallen flat. That didn't happen this week in its best episode yet, and is showing signs of a show finding its feet.

The chemistry between the two lead characters (the titular broke girls) played by the remarkable Kat Dennings and the highly game Beth Behrs has been fantastic from episode 1, and continues to be the strongest part of the series as a whole (barring Kat Dennings' chest). While the regular supporting cast are (admittedly funny) stereotypes, Dennings' Max and Behrs' Caroline are a great pair. Contasting completely, with more in common than they'd like to admit.

The premise of this episode, that they throw a 90's themed party and offer horse rides (oh yeah, they have a horse, Chesnut. He's amazing) to hipsters in order to earn money to pay off Max's student loan is a little ridiculous, but the chemistry between Max and Caroline, and the first really solid writing of the season helps it become more than what it probably should have been. The two gender bending party loving hipsters for example are absolutely fantastic, and a couple of characters that I really wouldn't mind seeing again.

2 Broke Girls seems to be finding its stride now, the jokes are getting better, and even the support cast are improving. It's never going to be a classic, but if they keep churning out episodes like this, it's definitely worth tuning into every week.

***

Album Review: Chickenfoot - "Chickenfoot III"

Chickenfoot's second album - titled "III" simply to confuse - is a strange beast. While the supergroup's (Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony of Van Halen, Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith and Joe Satriani) was a fun filled record featuring bluesy numbers, hard rockers and a couple of tracks touching on heavy metal, the follow up sticks squarely to the hard rock mould. It feels at times that the band just haven't challenged themselves on this record.

It's not that the songs are bad - save for the atrocious semi spoken work mess that is "Three and a Half Letters" - it's just that they seem to have phoned them in. Nowhere does Joe Satriani rip out one of the solos he's famous for. Nowhere does Sammy Hagar show the vocal range we all know he has. Maybe these songs will come to life in a live arena, but on record, they don't sparkle. Only "Come Closer" and "Big Foot" - as well as the hidden track "No Change" - come near to the quality that the band's exciting debut came to.

As I said, this is by no means a bad album, it just feels like four such talented guys could have done a lot more. Chickenfoot XXXIV - or whatever they title their next album - will need to be better than this.

***

Watch: "Big Foot"

Album Review: Jane's Addiction - "The Great Escape Artist"

Eight years after their last album, and following their latest reunion, the godfathers of alternative rock are back with their fourth studio album. The bassist may have changed (again) but the core of Perry Farrell, Dave Navarro and Stephen Perkins are back, playing music that could have been on any of their previous 3 albums - incredible when you think that each Jane's studio effort has been released in a different decade.

Lead single "Irresistable Force" is an absolute juggernaut of a song, among the best songs of the year, and highlighted that this was indeed going to be a classic Jane's record - much the way "Just Because" trailed "Strays" way back in 2003. The quality doesn't falter over the album's ten tracks, with the songs harking back to all three of their previous albums while still managing to be modern and have their own identity completely.

This is a classic Jane's Addiction album, melding genres and not nailing themselves down to one style. We can only hope that the band stay together long enough this time to follow it up pretty quickly.

****

Watch: l

Album Review: The Union - "Siren's Song"

"Siren's Song" is the second album from The Union, a band featuring former Thunder guitarist Luke Morley, and former Winterville frontman Peter Shoulder. Their 2010 self-titled debut was a well received slab of blues-rock, and "Siren's Song" builds on its predecessor well. The guys have crafted an intelligent blues and folk influenced hard rock record, which not only withstands multiple listens, but more than merits them too.

"Siren's Song" opens well with it's title track, the acoustic intro slowly fading into a powerful blues-rock riff that wouldn't have felt out of place in either man's previous bands. From there on, the band mix acoustic and electric guitars throughout the album, with Shoulder's voice soaring over the top of them beautifully. An album highlight is "Cut The Line", a mainly acoustic song, with a piano played the entire way through, and a killer solo, with Shoulder's vocals as emotional as anywhere on the record.

The Union have made a very good album here, and with a permanent bassist and drummer added, will be able to really turn it up in the live setting. "Siren's Song" may not sell a million copies, but anyone who does listen to it is going to enjoy it immensely.

****

Watch: "Siren's Song"