cross-posted from: https://lemmy.dbzer0.com/post/74524484

I'm having trouble putting my feelings about this book into words.

How do I go about describing the shattering of a window I didn't know I was peeking through? A slap in the face from someone I didn't know could exist?

My Kindle melted in my hands as I read. The plastic softened and turned to skin and the screen bent and twisted into eyes and a mouth and a nose, a face. I stared at the eyes, and as the words flickered and tears welled, I heard the mouth move to whisper and then speak and then scream, and I know it was the truth what it said.

bell hooks was a witch; of that, at least, I'm sure.

The Will to Change is honest, sober, and painfully aware of what it is that makes men men, and the systems that rip their nature from them. It describes the iron grip that crushes and shapes boys into loveless archetypes, writhing in a sea of needles that keeps them from being truly human; that same hand that puppeteers their mothers and sisters and lovers, and their fathers and brothers and friends, the same hand that sews their mouths shut as it rips their minds to shreds and chokes their hearts. This book is an indictment of patriarchy not just because of what it does to women, but especially for what it does to men; what it takes from them and the promises it shatters and the silence it demands.

That being said, every word is loving. It is a deep, powerful, raw yearning for love, for healing, for companionship and community. Every chapter begs men to reconsider, to change, to choose love and forego their pain and hurt, to choose to be people instead of dominators and patriarchs, to choose peace instead of violence and war. The Will to Change looks men in the eye and sees past the stoic veneer patriarchy demands and offers release: release from loveless marriages, release from unfulfilling sex, release from violence and grief, release from endless work, release from the burden of living according to a diseased and corrosive script instead of according to our needs and desires. Even as it ravages traditional notions of masculinity and maleness, the feminism of The Will to Change is a hand outstretched and a warm embrace; a guide and a tutor for a new kind of man that can live free and truly love.

And that's what I loved most about it. Anyone can point out the issues, and in fact many do: the male loneliness epidemic, men are unhappy, the sexual marketplace is a mess, nothing is good for men... Any struggling man or boy will find that their issues are recognized, that their strife is known and acknowledged, but the answers are always unsatisfying. You need to be more violent, more isolated, more hateful. Distrust, deny, control, dominate. Those are the answers you hear so very often. Then, as was already the case when the book was first published over 20 years ago, things got worse for the men that stuck with the old system, that corrosive and hateful system named with such a dreadfully misconstrued word as patriarchy. But The Will to Change is different: it offers a solution rooted in love and compassion. It moves away from the destruction that pervades traditional masculinity and describes a better future for men. It shows a glimpse of a nurturing masculinity, a kind masculinity, a passionate masculinity; it shows men that there's a path forward where the promises of the patriarchy, of pleasure and wholeness and self, can be fulfilled, away from pain and domination. The lonely man, the angry man, the hurt man, they all can read this book and find a guiding light.

bell hooks saw men and she makes a feminism that saves them. She truly saw and understood and loved, even as men hated and raged and hurt she loved, and as they thrashed around sightless and deaf and lost she loved, and she loved, and she loved, and she says that, to love, men need the will to change. Ultimately, I agree.

I only wish, one day, I can love as she so dearly hoped I would.

---

Rating: READ IT NOW

Check it out here!

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.dbzer0.com/post/74524484

I'm having trouble putting my feelings about this book into words.

How do I go about describing the shattering of a window I didn't know I was peeking through? A slap in the face from someone I didn't know could exist?

My Kindle melted in my hands as I read. The plastic softened and turned to skin and the screen bent and twisted into eyes and a mouth and a nose, a face. I stared at the eyes, and as the words flickered and tears welled, I heard the mouth move to whisper and then speak and then scream, and I know it was the truth what it said.

bell hooks was a witch; of that, at least, I'm sure.

The Will to Change is honest, sober, and painfully aware of what it is that makes men men, and the systems that rip their nature from them. It describes the iron grip that crushes and shapes boys into loveless archetypes, writhing in a sea of needles that keeps them from being truly human; that same hand that puppeteers their mothers and sisters and lovers, and their fathers and brothers and friends, the same hand that sews their mouths shut as it rips their minds to shreds and chokes their hearts. This book is an indictment of patriarchy not just because of what it does to women, but especially for what it does to men; what it takes from them and the promises it shatters and the silence it demands.

That being said, every word is loving. It is a deep, powerful, raw yearning for love, for healing, for companionship and community. Every chapter begs men to reconsider, to change, to choose love and forego their pain and hurt, to choose to be people instead of dominators and patriarchs, to choose peace instead of violence and war. The Will to Change looks men in the eye and sees past the stoic veneer patriarchy demands and offers release: release from loveless marriages, release from unfulfilling sex, release from violence and grief, release from endless work, release from the burden of living according to a diseased and corrosive script instead of according to our needs and desires. Even as it ravages traditional notions of masculinity and maleness, the feminism of The Will to Change is a hand outstretched and a warm embrace; a guide and a tutor for a new kind of man that can live free and truly love.

And that's what I loved most about it. Anyone can point out the issues, and in fact many do: the male loneliness epidemic, men are unhappy, the sexual marketplace is a mess, nothing is good for men... Any struggling man or boy will find that their issues are recognized, that their strife is known and acknowledged, but the answers are always unsatisfying. You need to be more violent, more isolated, more hateful. Distrust, deny, control, dominate. Those are the answers you hear so very often. Then, as was already the case when the book was first published over 20 years ago, things got worse for the men that stuck with the old system, that corrosive and hateful system named with such a dreadfully misconstrued word as patriarchy. But The Will to Change is different: it offers a solution rooted in love and compassion. It moves away from the destruction that pervades traditional masculinity and describes a better future for men. It shows a glimpse of a nurturing masculinity, a kind masculinity, a passionate masculinity; it shows men that there's a path forward where the promises of the patriarchy, of pleasure and wholeness and self, can be fulfilled, away from pain and domination. The lonely man, the angry man, the hurt man, they all can read this book and find a guiding light.

bell hooks saw men and she makes a feminism that saves them. She truly saw and understood and loved, even as men hated and raged and hurt she loved, and as they thrashed around sightless and deaf and lost she loved, and she loved, and she loved, and she says that, to love, men need the will to change. Ultimately, I agree.

I only wish, one day, I can love as she so dearly hoped I would.

---

Rating: READ IT NOW

Check it out here!

I'm having trouble putting my feelings about this book into words.

How do I go about describing the shattering of a window I didn't know I was peeking through? A slap in the face from someone I didn't know could exist?

My Kindle melted in my hands as I read. The plastic softened and turned to skin and the screen bent and twisted into eyes and a mouth and a nose, a face. I stared at the eyes, and as the words flickered and tears welled, I heard the mouth move to whisper and then speak and then scream, and I know it was the truth what it said.

bell hooks was a witch; of that, at least, I'm sure.

The Will to Change is honest, sober, and painfully aware of what it is that makes men men, and the systems that rip their nature from them. It describes the iron grip that crushes and shapes boys into loveless archetypes, writhing in a sea of needles that keeps them from being truly human; that same hand that puppeteers their mothers and sisters and lovers, and their fathers and brothers and friends, the same hand that sews their mouths shut as it rips their minds to shreds and chokes their hearts. This book is an indictment of patriarchy not just because of what it does to women, but especially for what it does to men; what it takes from them and the promises it shatters and the silence it demands.

That being said, every word is loving. It is a deep, powerful, raw yearning for love, for healing, for companionship and community. Every chapter begs men to reconsider, to change, to choose love and forego their pain and hurt, to choose to be people instead of dominators and patriarchs, to choose peace instead of violence and war. The Will to Change looks men in the eye and sees past the stoic veneer patriarchy demands and offers release: release from loveless marriages, release from unfulfilling sex, release from violence and grief, release from endless work, release from the burden of living according to a diseased and corrosive script instead of according to our needs and desires. Even as it ravages traditional notions of masculinity and maleness, the feminism of The Will to Change is a hand outstretched and a warm embrace; a guide and a tutor for a new kind of man that can live free and truly love.

And that's what I loved most about it. Anyone can point out the issues, and in fact many do: the male loneliness epidemic, men are unhappy, the sexual marketplace is a mess, nothing is good for men... Any struggling man or boy will find that their issues are recognized, that their strife is known and acknowledged, but the answers are always unsatisfying. You need to be more violent, more isolated, more hateful. Distrust, deny, control, dominate. Those are the answers you hear so very often. Then, as was already the case when the book was first published over 20 years ago, things got worse for the men that stuck with the old system, that corrosive and hateful system named with such a dreadfully misconstrued word as patriarchy. But The Will to Change is different: it offers a solution rooted in love and compassion. It moves away from the destruction that pervades traditional masculinity and describes a better future for men. It shows a glimpse of a nurturing masculinity, a kind masculinity, a passionate masculinity; it shows men that there's a path forward where the promises of the patriarchy, of pleasure and wholeness and self, can be fulfilled, away from pain and domination. The lonely man, the angry man, the hurt man, they all can read this book and find a guiding light.

bell hooks saw men and she makes a feminism that saves them. She truly saw and understood and loved, even as men hated and raged and hurt she loved, and as they thrashed around sightless and deaf and lost she loved, and she loved, and she loved, and she says that, to love, men need the will to change. Ultimately, I agree.

I only wish, one day, I can love as she so dearly hoped I would.

Rating: READ IT NOW

Check it out here!

Hello everyone.

I'm interested in books about life without fossil fuels, specifically modern life after fossil fuels.

I know of Life after Fossil Fuels by Alice Friedemann, and the work of Steve Hallett, but I'm struggling to find more books on the topic.

Maybe I'm just bad at searching, frankly... If you know how to best search for books on particular, somewhat specific topics, please also let me know!

Anyway, if you know of books on the topic, please recommend them! I want to learn more about this.

Greetings and salutations.

I'm looking for a nice story; an entertaining read; specifically with romance! Something serious and substantive, not the sort of thing you just turn your brain off to read.

I've heard from a YTber I like that "Bottom-Tier Character Tomozaki" is actually peak, and, by the synopsis, it does seem interesting; but after reading a few pages it seems so... Cringe. Admittedly, I've barely given it a shot. Is it worth the read?

If anyone has some nice suggestions, please let me have them!

I have the following on my TBR (in no particular order):

• The Mimosa Confessions
• Bottom-Tier Character Tomozaki
• Mokushiroku Arisu
• Accel World (I remember watching the anime way back, so I thought it could be fun to read)
• Re:Zero (I'm on Vol. 18)

PLEASE PLEASE I'M BEGGING YOU I'M STARVING!!! I'M DYING!! HELP ME!! GIVE ME YOUR SUGGESTIONS!!!

This season seems to be absolutely loaded with peak!

Frieren, Love Through A Prism, Journal with Witch... Frankly, the latter two are already some of the best anime I've ever watched -- Journal with Witch isn't even halfway done, either. I haven't actually started on Frieren S2 yet but, judging from audience reaction (and having absolutely loved S1), I have no doubts it's peak.

I assume this is just me actually looking for anime again, but I'm feeling like 10 years ago. Back then, it felt like whatever was coming out was just the best! It's a nostalgic feeling, and it's amazing.

What other recent anime have you watched that you think is peak? Do you agree that the ones I mentioned are incredible? Are there other anime this season that you think deserve more of a spotlight?

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.dbzer0.com/post/56892944

A Human Made of Words.

This has been one of the best manga I have ever read.

Oftentimes, you hear about how an author "paints with their words" or something to that effect -- Hagimoto does something different. It's not painting, it's not even sculpting... They do something more akin to Prometheus shaping a Human out of clay. Every page pulls you in and forces you to face the characters in such a realistic way, that you simply can't help but wholeheartedly believe that they're real people; Breathing humans of flesh and blood, that just happen to be made of lines and words.

Something that bothers me to no end, when it comes to a lot of manga that deal with bullying and topics of self-harm and suicide, is that they are gratuitously violent. I understand that that sort of representation matters, but it falls flat more often than not, I find. Not in That's My Atypical Girl -- here, everything feels real. It's a little hard to explain, actually, because I feel like I can't possibly hope to do justice to the pages, but it simply feels like it happened.

It's reality; It's raw and hard to read at times; It's painful and violent; But it's true. It speaks to you in such an undeniable way, that it transcends its medium.

This isn't the sort of manga that transports you into its world; This isn't an immersive experience that makes you forget reality. No. This is the sort of manga that changes your reality. After reading this, the world of the manga becomes your reality. This has changed the way I think, the way I see other people, and I'm sure it has changed the way I act. It's the sort of manga that will stay with me, even if I forget it.

Truly, a life-changing experience, and a heartfelt depiction of depression, anxiety, and ASD.

It is a little odd how self-referential it is, though. It's not bad in any regard, mind you, it's not even off-putting, but it is just noticeable enough that you begin wondering how much the author wants you to pay attention to it. It is a manga about a mangaka, after all, so I guess it makes sense, in a way. Still.

Morita's art is good (and actually gets significantly better as the manga goes on, I think, but I would argue that it is by far the weakest point of this work. Occasionally, the characters do look a little off. I suppose this opinion is a consequence of my being spoiled with lots of very high-quality art in other manga, but I can't let it go unsaid.

I know I didn't really speak too much about the plot or the characters in this review, but I feel that I shouldn't. The characters are complex and deep, all of them; However, I can't bring them to life in a short Lemmy review, so I simply won't attempt to describe them at all. It would be a disservice to the work. The plot is moving and compelling; However, I can't make you believe it happened, so I simply won't attempt to summarize it.

Please, read this.

...and let me know what you think!

---

Rating: 5/5

Read on Bato.to!

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.dbzer0.com/post/56892944

A Human Made of Words.

This has been one of the best manga I have ever read.

Oftentimes, you hear about how an author "paints with their words" or something to that effect -- Hagimoto does something different. It's not painting, it's not even sculpting... They do something more akin to Prometheus shaping a Human out of clay. Every page pulls you in and forces you to face the characters in such a realistic way, that you simply can't help but wholeheartedly believe that they're real people; Breathing humans of flesh and blood, that just happen to be made of lines and words.

Something that bothers me to no end, when it comes to a lot of manga that deal with bullying and topics of self-harm and suicide, is that they are gratuitously violent. I understand that that sort of representation matters, but it falls flat more often than not, I find. Not in That's My Atypical Girl -- here, everything feels real. It's a little hard to explain, actually, because I feel like I can't possibly hope to do justice to the pages, but it simply feels like it happened.

It's reality; It's raw and hard to read at times; It's painful and violent; But it's true. It speaks to you in such an undeniable way, that it transcends its medium.

This isn't the sort of manga that transports you into its world; This isn't an immersive experience that makes you forget reality. No. This is the sort of manga that changes your reality. After reading this, the world of the manga becomes your reality. This has changed the way I think, the way I see other people, and I'm sure it has changed the way I act. It's the sort of manga that will stay with me, even if I forget it.

Truly, a life-changing experience, and a heartfelt depiction of depression, anxiety, and ASD.

It is a little odd how self-referential it is, though. It's not bad in any regard, mind you, it's not even off-putting, but it is just noticeable enough that you begin wondering how much the author wants you to pay attention to it. It is a manga about a mangaka, after all, so I guess it makes sense, in a way. Still.

Morita's art is good (and actually gets significantly better as the manga goes on, I think, but I would argue that it is by far the weakest point of this work. Occasionally, the characters do look a little off. I suppose this opinion is a consequence of my being spoiled with lots of very high-quality art in other manga, but I can't let it go unsaid.

I know I didn't really speak too much about the plot or the characters in this review, but I feel that I shouldn't. The characters are complex and deep, all of them; However, I can't bring them to life in a short Lemmy review, so I simply won't attempt to describe them at all. It would be a disservice to the work. The plot is moving and compelling; However, I can't make you believe it happened, so I simply won't attempt to summarize it.

Please, read this.

...and let me know what you think!

---

Rating: 5/5

Read on Bato.to!

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.dbzer0.com/post/56892944

A Human Made of Words.

This has been one of the best manga I have ever read.

Oftentimes, you hear about how an author "paints with their words" or something to that effect -- Hagimoto does something different. It's not painting, it's not even sculpting... They do something more akin to Prometheus shaping a Human out of clay. Every page pulls you in and forces you to face the characters in such a realistic way, that you simply can't help but wholeheartedly believe that they're real people; Breathing humans of flesh and blood, that just happen to be made of lines and words.

Something that bothers me to no end, when it comes to a lot of manga that deal with bullying and topics of self-harm and suicide, is that they are gratuitously violent. I understand that that sort of representation matters, but it falls flat more often than not, I find. Not in That's My Atypical Girl -- here, everything feels real. It's a little hard to explain, actually, because I feel like I can't possibly hope to do justice to the pages, but it simply feels like it happened.

It's reality; It's raw and hard to read at times; It's painful and violent; But it's true. It speaks to you in such an undeniable way, that it transcends its medium.

This isn't the sort of manga that transports you into its world; This isn't an immersive experience that makes you forget reality. No. This is the sort of manga that changes your reality. After reading this, the world of the manga becomes your reality. This has changed the way I think, the way I see other people, and I'm sure it has changed the way I act. It's the sort of manga that will stay with me, even if I forget it.

Truly, a life-changing experience, and a heartfelt depiction of depression, anxiety, and ASD.

It is a little odd how self-referential it is, though. It's not bad in any regard, mind you, it's not even off-putting, but it is just noticeable enough that you begin wondering how much the author wants you to pay attention to it. It is a manga about a mangaka, after all, so I guess it makes sense, in a way. Still.

Morita's art is good (and actually gets significantly better as the manga goes on, I think, but I would argue that it is by far the weakest point of this work. Occasionally, the characters do look a little off. I suppose this opinion is a consequence of my being spoiled with lots of very high-quality art in other manga, but I can't let it go unsaid.

I know I didn't really speak too much about the plot or the characters in this review, but I feel that I shouldn't. The characters are complex and deep, all of them; However, I can't bring them to life in a short Lemmy review, so I simply won't attempt to describe them at all. It would be a disservice to the work. The plot is moving and compelling; However, I can't make you believe it happened, so I simply won't attempt to summarize it.

Please, read this.

...and let me know what you think!

---

Rating: 5/5

Read on Bato.to!

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.dbzer0.com/post/56892944

A Human Made of Words.

This has been one of the best manga I have ever read.

Oftentimes, you hear about how an author "paints with their words" or something to that effect -- Hagimoto does something different. It's not painting, it's not even sculpting... They do something more akin to Prometheus shaping a Human out of clay. Every page pulls you in and forces you to face the characters in such a realistic way, that you simply can't help but wholeheartedly believe that they're real people; Breathing humans of flesh and blood, that just happen to be made of lines and words.

Something that bothers me to no end, when it comes to a lot of manga that deal with bullying and topics of self-harm and suicide, is that they are gratuitously violent. I understand that that sort of representation matters, but it falls flat more often than not, I find. Not in That's My Atypical Girl -- here, everything feels real. It's a little hard to explain, actually, because I feel like I can't possibly hope to do justice to the pages, but it simply feels like it happened.

It's reality; It's raw and hard to read at times; It's painful and violent; But it's true. It speaks to you in such an undeniable way, that it transcends its medium.

This isn't the sort of manga that transports you into its world; This isn't an immersive experience that makes you forget reality. No. This is the sort of manga that changes your reality. After reading this, the world of the manga becomes your reality. This has changed the way I think, the way I see other people, and I'm sure it has changed the way I act. It's the sort of manga that will stay with me, even if I forget it.

Truly, a life-changing experience, and a heartfelt depiction of depression, anxiety, and ASD.

It is a little odd how self-referential it is, though. It's not bad in any regard, mind you, it's not even off-putting, but it is just noticeable enough that you begin wondering how much the author wants you to pay attention to it. It is a manga about a mangaka, after all, so I guess it makes sense, in a way. Still.

Morita's art is good (and actually gets significantly better as the manga goes on, I think, but I would argue that it is by far the weakest point of this work. Occasionally, the characters do look a little off. I suppose this opinion is a consequence of my being spoiled with lots of very high-quality art in other manga, but I can't let it go unsaid.

I know I didn't really speak too much about the plot or the characters in this review, but I feel that I shouldn't. The characters are complex and deep, all of them; However, I can't bring them to life in a short Lemmy review, so I simply won't attempt to describe them at all. It would be a disservice to the work. The plot is moving and compelling; However, I can't make you believe it happened, so I simply won't attempt to summarize it.

Please, read this.

...and let me know what you think!

---

Rating: 5/5

Read on Bato.to!

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.dbzer0.com/post/51533460

Blasting production, slashing vocals, heartfelt heartbreak.

Surface Tension is absolutely brilliant.

Every track is packed with granular guitar-heavy production and thrumming bass accompanied by small and sharp drums. It feels like driving really fast down the highway; the rusted engine shakes, trembles, and rattles, almost falls apart but somehow stays together for just another mile. It's a raw sort of feeling, like Dev is grabbing you by the shoulders and looking you in the eyes while she screams her lungs out at you. Still, she manages to find a few moments to take a step back, like in FACE and WHAT ABOUT YOU, which feature restrained acoustic guitars, before delving back into the thick production that's the hallmark of the project.

The vocals also leave nothing to be desired in both performance and variety. Dev is known for her generally weird demeanour and delivery, and she does go some rather weird places with her performance on several songs. DON'T PINCH ME might be the most intense example of this, but other tracks - like MEDIA TRAIN's second screaming half - also illustrate this rather well. I can totally understand how this might turn some people off to the tracks, but I think she always manages to strike that balance of artistic explosion and connection to the very emotional themes of the songs. She has no issue getting melodic - just listen to BROKE YOUR COVER and STUCK AGAIN - and she can keep a flow, but what really makes the album is how she mixes all the disciplines to paint this vivid picture of despair, frustration, and resignation, while never fully letting go of her silly personality.

It's almost paradoxical how she manages to merge such seriously nasty criticism of her failed attempts at love and hilariously quippy lines.

Speaking of failed love; That's undeniably and unmistakably the theme of the record. Every song talks about it - which honestly could get a bit repetitive, if not for this album being rather short at just over 20 minutes - sometimes ravaging her past partners' blatant disrespect and failure to commit, sometimes more seriously introspective and questioning her own meek behaviour and lack of determination, while staying stuck in an unfulfilling half-relationship.

The one issue I have with her lyrics are that... Well... They can get a little awkward - and I don't mean in the emotional sense, but in the technical sense. The words just don't quite fit sometimes; she does get too absurd and silly at times, which does hurt. DON'T PINCH ME is by far the biggest offender, though MEDIA TRAIN does also get a little too crazy, in my opinion. It still has some appeal, but I feel like the insanity of the words and the mismatched-jigsaw nature of the verses take away from the overall emotional weight of the album, as a whole. That's, honestly, my only criticism of the project.

Mind you, I don't think any song on here is a skip - I'd actually argue that skipping any song here would be tantamount to sacrilege - but it does have low points; that's all I'm saying.

Now, I'd like to mention the MVs. I usually don't comment on them (or even watch them...) but this is one of those rare cases where watching sincerely adds to the experience. Every song has an MV and they're all insane - either in concept or in eclectic execution - but they're all incredible. The visuals are full of personality; you can really tell Dev loved making them. If you're like me and usually skip the videos, consider checking these out anyway. It's worth it, I swear!

I've listened to the whole thing front to back more times than I've bothered to count.

What do you think?

---

Best song: DROP YOUR COVER
Worst song: DON'T PINCH ME
Rating: 4/5

Listen on YouTube!

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.dbzer0.com/post/51533460

Blasting production, slashing vocals, heartfelt heartbreak.

Surface Tension is absolutely brilliant.

Every track is packed with granular guitar-heavy production and thrumming bass accompanied by small and sharp drums. It feels like driving really fast down the highway; the rusted engine shakes, trembles, and rattles, almost falls apart but somehow stays together for just another mile. It's a raw sort of feeling, like Dev is grabbing you by the shoulders and looking you in the eyes while she screams her lungs out at you. Still, she manages to find a few moments to take a step back, like in FACE and WHAT ABOUT YOU, which feature restrained acoustic guitars, before delving back into the thick production that's the hallmark of the project.

The vocals also leave nothing to be desired in both performance and variety. Dev is known for her generally weird demeanour and delivery, and she does go some rather weird places with her performance on several songs. DON'T PINCH ME might be the most intense example of this, but other tracks - like MEDIA TRAIN's second screaming half - also illustrate this rather well. I can totally understand how this might turn some people off to the tracks, but I think she always manages to strike that balance of artistic explosion and connection to the very emotional themes of the songs. She has no issue getting melodic - just listen to BROKE YOUR COVER and STUCK AGAIN - and she can keep a flow, but what really makes the album is how she mixes all the disciplines to paint this vivid picture of despair, frustration, and resignation, while never fully letting go of her silly personality.

It's almost paradoxical how she manages to merge such seriously nasty criticism of her failed attempts at love and hilariously quippy lines.

Speaking of failed love; That's undeniably and unmistakably the theme of the record. Every song talks about it - which honestly could get a bit repetitive, if not for this album being rather short at just over 20 minutes - sometimes ravaging her past partners' blatant disrespect and failure to commit, sometimes more seriously introspective and questioning her own meek behaviour and lack of determination, while staying stuck in an unfulfilling half-relationship.

The one issue I have with her lyrics are that... Well... They can get a little awkward - and I don't mean in the emotional sense, but in the technical sense. The words just don't quite fit sometimes; she does get too absurd and silly at times, which does hurt. DON'T PINCH ME is by far the biggest offender, though MEDIA TRAIN does also get a little too crazy, in my opinion. It still has some appeal, but I feel like the insanity of the words and the mismatched-jigsaw nature of the verses take away from the overall emotional weight of the album, as a whole. That's, honestly, my only criticism of the project.

Mind you, I don't think any song on here is a skip - I'd actually argue that skipping any song here would be tantamount to sacrilege - but it does have low points; that's all I'm saying.

Now, I'd like to mention the MVs. I usually don't comment on them (or even watch them...) but this is one of those rare cases where watching sincerely adds to the experience. Every song has an MV and they're all insane - either in concept or in eclectic execution - but they're all incredible. The visuals are full of personality; you can really tell Dev loved making them. If you're like me and usually skip the videos, consider checking these out anyway. It's worth it, I swear!

I've listened to the whole thing front to back more times than I've bothered to count.

What do you think?

---

Best song: DROP YOUR COVER
Worst song: DON'T PINCH ME
Rating: 4/5

Listen on YouTube!