Latest News

a, News

PGSS hosts education summit to prepare for PQ summit

by Erica Friesen on

More in a:

Students, faculty, administrators, and other members of the educational community within, and outside of McGill debated diverse aspects of the role of post-secondary education in Quebec, and at McGill, in early December. The two-day education summit was organized by the Post-Graduate Students’ Society of McGill University (PGSS), and the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU).

According to PGSS Secretary General Jonathan Mooney, the summit was intended to promote discussion on topics that will be under scrutiny at the upcoming Quebec summit on higher education, which the Parti Québécois has said will be held in February.

“We felt that in the aftermath of last year’s conflicts and in anticipation of the Quebec summit, it was important to have a nuanced discussion about important topics regarding higher education in Quebec,” Mooney said. “It’s valuable to hear different perspectives on these topics because it offers stakeholders a chance to explore these complexities, and try to think of creative solutions.”

PGSS Vice-President External Errol Salamon said the PGSS originally intended to create a document based on discussion at the summit, but have changed their plans due to low attendence and the cancellation of several guests, such as  representative from ASSÉ.

“That said, we are reviewing some of our policies (and hoping to create policies) about key issues, including tuition and ancillary fees, which we hope to pass in Council this semester,” he said. “The summit will certainly inform our positions.”

In one panel, Mooney moderated a discussion that focused on the question of who “should” finance universities. Panellists included McGill Principal Heather Munroe-Blum, SSMU Vice-President External Robin Reid-Fraser, former PGSS Vice-President External Mariève Isabel, and Professor John Galaty, the former president of the McGill Association of University Teachers (MAUT).

Much of the discussion focused on how tuition costs affect students’ ability to attend university. Reid-Fraser argued that increasing tuition prices decrease accessibility, and pointed to higher tuition as a barrier for the social mobility of those from lower income families.

“Even if you have financial aid, there is … the fear of accumulating debt, particularly in a position where the economic picture is not very stable; and it’s not guaranteed that students coming out of university with an undergraduate or graduate degree are going to be able to move quickly into the workplace and pay off that debt,” she said.

Galaty, however, argued that free or low tuition is “inequitable” in certain ways.

“What the present tuition system represents is a massive benefit to those families that are more wealthy, because essentially, they are able to achieve a level of tuition payment, which is equivalent to those who have true financial need,” he said. “If you have a very low, stable tuition fee, what you’ve done is provide tuition relief to all those who don’t need it.”

As a way to potentially minimize this problem, Galaty pointed to American university applications, where students must submit a form that allows the university to identify those who are in need of financial assistance. He said another option is to give tax credits for tuition on a graduated scale that refunds money to those of lower income backgrounds.

According to Isabel, society as a whole benefits greatly from the education of students. She cited a study by the Fédération étudiante universitaire du Québec (FEUQ), which states that every dollar the Quebec government invests in a graduate student returns $5.30.

Munroe-Blum expressed agreement that certain groups of students should receive financial support, including research, masters, and PhD students, as well as “qualified students” who can’t afford to pay otherwise. She said students should pay “to the best of their ability,” but also emphasized the diverse factors that affect a student’s ability to go to university.

“The social milieu has a far greater impact on who goes to university than tuition,” Munroe-Blum said. “Frankly, I am very concerned about the results of the educational system, and I think something we really need to focus on is actually looking at who graduates. Do those who are the first in their family to go to university graduate?”

Reid-Fraser concluded by drawing attention to the complex nature of barriers to secondary education, and the need to extend the discussion of accessibility beyond tuition.

“Financial barriers are a very important thing to continue to talk about, but another long-term project is to re-envision how we make the information … available [here] to people who maybe can’t sit through lectures every day or learn from a book as easily,” she said. “I know a lot of friends who did not go to university, simply because their learning style is not suited to being in a classroom, and yet, there is so much valuable information that we get when we’re in a classroom or at a university.”

 

a, News

What happened last week in Canada?

on

More in a:

Teacher strike cancelled in Ontario

On Jan. 9, Ontario Education Minister Lauren Broten imposed a two-year contract on teachers and support staff under Bill 115, a controversial anti-strike bill. Ontario teachers’ unions argue that the legislation is unconstitutional, and have declared their intention to contend it in court.

Elementary school teachers initially announced that they would stage a one-day “political protest” against the decision last Friday, but the plans were discontinued after the Ontario Labour Relations Board ruled that the protest would be illegal. Under Ontario labour laws, engaging in illegal strike actions can result in a penalty of up to $2,000 per person and up to $25,000 for a trade union.

The timing of the ruling, which came at 4 a.m. on the day of the planned protest, caused confusion among parents and school boards, since several schools had declared closure in anticipation of the protest. As a result of the ruling, many boards decided to open schools, with only eight of 72 Ontario school boards opting not to hold classes on Friday.

Harper meets with Assembly of First Nations

Last Friday, Prime Minister Stephen Harper met with members of the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) following nationwide protests as part of the Idle No More movement.

Attending First Nations leaders included Attawapiskat First Nation Chief Theresa Spence, whose hunger strike has been raising awareness of Indigenous issues and support for the Idle No More movement since it began in December 2012.

After the meeting, AFN National Chief Shawn Atleo expressed optimism about their progress, saying that “for the first time, [Harper] provided a clear mandate for high-level talks on treaty implementation.”

However, some Chiefs have criticized the government for failing to meet their demand for a joint meeting with both Harper and Governor General David Johnston.

During the meeting, demonstrations continued across Canada in support of the Idle No More movement. Leaders have said there will continue to be protests in the coming weeks, and Spence will continue her hunger strike until her original demand for a joint meeting is granted.

Applebaum fights corruption

In the next few weeks, Montreal will have a new anti-corruption unit designed to investigate city affairs, according to an announcement made by Mayor Michael Applebaum on Jan. 11. The group, which will be the first of its kind in Canada, will consist of 20 members. Although most employees will be Montreal police officers, the unit will exist and act independently from the city.

The new unit is called Escouade de protection de l’intégrité municiaple (EPIM, or the Squad to Protect Municipal Integrity). Estimated costs for its first year of operation are $3 million, including costs for paying staff and establishing EPIM’s headquarters.

With this move, Applebaum said he seeks to send a warning to “profiteers and schemers,” who attempt to manipulate construction contracts to their benefit. Although some members of the official opposition party Vision Montreal have asked if this step comes too late given the history of corruption in Montreal, many members have praised Applebaum for creating an additional barrier to the spread of corruption in the city.

Government bureaucrats caught cheating

According to documents uncovered last week, Ottawa officials reprimanded almost 60 federal bureaucrats for allegedly plagiarising on an exam in a 2010 job application for a government position in the information technology sector.

Instances of plagiarism are normally kept confidential due to privacy concerns. However, one applicant decided to challenge the accusation in federal court, causing the records to be released.

The exam was distributed over the Internet to more than 2,000 applicants. Although applicants were allowed to use the Internet during the test, they were prohibited from copying and pasting text into their exams. Those who marked the test alleged that almost one in every twenty people who filled out the test had plagiarised in this manner.

The bureaucrats were not fired for their actions; however, they received reprimands, and were halted in any potential job advances. In addition, the government informed the applicants’ superiors of their plagiarism on the exam. Critics point to this incident as an indication that plagiarism in government is a greater problem than acknowledged.

Military planes may have defects

Questions arose last week regarding the threat posed by counterfeit Chinese parts in the cockpits of some of the Hercules planes recently bought by the Canadian military.

CBC News alleges that the counterfeit electronic chips could cause the instrument panels of the aircraft to turn blank during flight. If these parts become defective, Canadian military pilots risk flying blindly into combat zones without important information such as altitude, speed, location, or fuel supply.

The CBC says it has received documents, indicating that the military became aware of the counterfeit parts as early as July 2012; but the military has not disclosed the information, despite a CBC News investigation. The Department of National Defence denies that the parts pose a threat, but notes they will replace the parts as necessary.

Neither the manufacturer nor the electronics company that made the system has provided comments on the allegations.

a, Arts & Entertainment

Haiku Reviews: Holiday Films

on

More in a:

Chris

Life of Pi

Shot with utmost care,

Every frame is priceless art;

Beauty incarnate.

The Hobbit

One book—three films. Why?

Jackson’s winded, winding tale:

All filler, no fun.

Zero Dark Thirty

Steely, steel-cold work;

Not war song, but elegy.

Apolitical.

Django Unchained

Slavery and race

Subject to Q’s mockery—

Shameful; a disgrace.

Ilia

Hyde Park on Hudson

Borderline incest,

In plot like flat June champagne.

King George visits too.

This is 40

Turning forty, huh?

Near broke; wife nags; Viagra.

At least you’re not dead.

Gangster Squad 

Riddled with bullets

Made of highest grade boredom.

Gosling still handsome.

Django Unchained

Waltz, DiCaprio

Make love to the camera;

Foxx penis steals show.

 

Salman Rushdie, a man on the run. (www.thesamueljohnsonprize.co.uk)
a, Arts & Entertainment

A Valentine’s day sentence: an author’s fight for freedom

by Ilia Blinderman on

More in a:

On the morning of February 15, 1989, two unknown men knocked on Salman Rushdie’s door. The day before, a mortally ill despot in Tehran had issued an edict condemning all those involved in the production of Rushdie’s most recent novel, The Satanic Verses. The Valentine’s Day fatwa concluded in a morbid command: “I ask all the Muslims to execute them wherever they find them.”

When the author answered his door, the two men explained that they were members of the Metropolitan Police’s A Squad, the division responsible for all personal protection in the UK. A journalist told Rushdie that Ayatollah Khomeini’s fatwas were a dead letter. The men, however, explained that his life was now under serious threat—one level below that of the Queen.

Rushdie’s recent memoir, Joseph Anton, chronicling his state-guarded life over the course of 12 years, is unceasingly captivating. Beginning with his upbringing as a scholar and an atheist, through to his attempts to examine Muhammad in a distinctly human light, Rushdie writes of the intellectual curiosity which spurred his penning of The Satanic Verses. To his pain and surprise, less than a fortnight after its publication in Britain the Indian government buckled to pressure from two Muslim MPs, and banned it. In the next six months, India would welcome Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, and (in a rare show of unity) Pakistan to its comity of censorship. In most of these cases, it is almost certain that no native language translations were available, and that few officials had made even the most cursory examination of the book.

Western liberal democracy issued an even more timorous response. Barring a small group (writers, friends, and politicians, whose ranks included Susan Sontag, Gunter Grass, and Vaclav Havel), many declared Rushdie’s work to be disrespectful, and therefore, rightfully convicted by the laws of cultural relativity. In a show of admirable religious solidarity, the Pope, the Archbishop of Canterbury, and several eminent rabbis all declared Rushdie in the wrong. The Prince of Wales, not to be outdone, stated that the author was a bad writer who cost Britain too much to protect. One couldn’t help but wonder just what exactly it was that Prince Charles had accomplished to merit not only his inordinately costly safekeeping, but his complete financial support.

The author, forced to choose a new name (Joseph Anton is the amalgamation of Joseph Conrad and Anton Chekhov) and scuttle from one property to another, writes his recollections with brilliant, vivid indignation. In beautifully melodic passages, Rushdie wonders how an Iranian theocrat could sentence a British national to death. Milton once wrote, “He who destroys a good book, kills reason itself.” Had his fellow writers forgotten these prescient lines? Using third person, and thereby largely avoiding the solipsism that a slighted man’s memoir may lapse into, Rushdie describes the nightmare of daily life with admirable honesty.

By and large, the whole affair was handled—be it on the part of writers such as John le Carré or politicians such as Tony Blair—with a craven servility. Another of Rushdie’s books provides an alternate, yet equally apt title for this tale: Shame.

Joseph Anton is available from Random House, $34.95

For Etoroma, the world is his stage. (Evan Shay / Courtesy of Etoroma)
a, Arts & Entertainment

McGill alumnus, marching to the beat of his own drum

by Evie Kaczmarek on

More in a:

You live in Upper Rez. You have an 8:30 a.m. class at the bottom of the hill and you’re just rolling out of bed at 8:15. You throw on your shoes, dash outside, and sprint down the steep, slippery, slush-covered University Street. As you slide into your seat in the nick of time, you realize you forgot your homework. Sounds like a pretty standard morning for a first year.

But imagine—in addition to this—that you had spent the preivous night, from midnight to 4 a.m., in the recording studio. Later that day you’d be practicing with both of your music groups and then at night you’d have a gig at a well-known jazz venue in Montreal. Juggling school and a professional music career? Not so standard. But just five years ago, this was the life of drummer, composer, and now McGill alumnus, Efa Etoroma Jr., who is set to appear on the cover of the upcoming issue of Muzik Etc./Drums Etc. magazine.

Raised mainly in Edmonton, Etoroma came from a musical family that first noticed his talent at age three, when he started banging out rhythms on his father’s head. By the end of high school, he had received numerous music awards, traveled throughout Canada and the United States to perform and study, and was on his way to McGill’s prestigious Schulich School of Music.

Etoroma looks back at his years at McGill as a time of great inspiration. Joining fellow jazz students, Dan Reynolds (piano) and Conrad Good (bass), Etoroma started the Efa Etoroma Jr. Jazz Trio, which eventually went on to play at the Montreal Jazz Festival main stage in 2011.

“Within the first few months of being at McGill, we just kind of made a connection,” Etoroma says about the trio.

Focusing on acoustic jazz, the group recorded an album called Before and After, a compilation of traditional, smooth jazz with a hint of modern flair.

Etoroma is “always looking for new sounds,” which led to the establishment of his second music group—an experimental hip-hop collaboration called Ruckus. Their album, Round One, is an upbeat blend of hip-hop, jazz, funk, soul, electronica, and Latin music.

“It was a fusion of different styles into this contemporary version of hip-hop,” Etoroma explains.

The members of the group would incorporate different sounds that were inspiring them at the time into their compositions to form an unique amalgamation. One unceasing source of excitement for Etoroma was Montreal itself.

“It was a challenge, you know, to stay focused in a really exciting city,” Etoroma sighs. “But it was inspiring at the same time.”

He recalls fondly some of his favourite places in the city to hear music, including Upstairs Jazz, Jello Martini Lounge, Brutopia, and of course, the many stages of the Montreal Jazz Festival.

The past few years have been a whirlwind of success for Etoroma. Two years ago, he played for the Montreal Drum Fest, a prestigious annual festival that showcases some of the best percussionists in the world. For Etoroma, playing for this specific community consisting solely of drummers was a challenging, but extremely important moment in his career.

“It was a big step for me,” he chuckles, recalling that the members of the drum community “are super-critical … because they know what’s up.”

Due to this exposure, Etoroma just signed an endorsement with Yamaha Drums Canada. In doing so, he has joined an incredible rank of drummers—several of whom are internationally famed. Being a part of this group will, without a doubt, open a number of doors for the young artist.

Today, Etoroma is based in Edmonton, where he leads a new group—the Etoroma Trio. Along with his brother on vocals and guitar and a bassist, Edwin Alvarado, Efa is exploring a more pop-oriented sound than he has before. Keep an ear out—for you’ll undoubtedly hear from from Etoroma in the future.

Holly King’s Scenic Delirium. (Courtesy of Art Mûr)
a, Arts & Entertainment

Where the wild things are

by Will Burgess on

More in a:

Landscapes have always been a natural muse for Canadian artists, and interpretations of such an inherently stable subject have always been a welcome challenge for those who want to capture its grandeur in a unique way. The Group of Seven painted vistas abstractly, but still captured the native beauty of Canada. More recently, photographers such as Edward Burtynsky have captured the stunning, but often dark work of “manufactured landscapes”—beauty present in industrial settings, however unintentional.

Three new exhibits at Montreal’s Art Mûr put three different spins on natural landscapes, all exploiting the tension between the enduring beauty of the subject and the creative imprint that is left by any artist attempting to capture it. The result is a series by Quebec and Ontario artists that revisits familiar spaces with unfamiliar methods, often with an uncanny effect.

Featured in the window of Art Mûr is Judith Berry’s oil-on-canvas Doubt, in which striped green scrub-brushes and 3D oval structures surround a sink-hole that presumably gives the work its title. As with the rest of the series, titled Duped / Duplicata, the perspective can be seen as minuscule in scale, suggested by the microbe shapes that dominate the large canvases, or expansive and aerial, like a shot of crop circles in a field. Indeed, all of the paintings seem to suggest paranormal environments and alien worlds, apparent in the objects’ organic fluidity of the objects, as well as in the artist’s choice of perspective.

Berry is at her best when painting wholly recognizable, faintly politicized landscapes, like a Japanese field in Outlook (I Dream of Japan), and adding a dimension of weirdness, playing with shapes in an abstract, topographical way. However, her paintings are underwhelming both aesthetically, with dull colours and lines, and conceptually—the juvenile, “trippy” patterns fail to travel through the mind’s uncanny valley for very long.

Holly King’s Grand Canyon: Unseen is installed on four walls in the adjacent room, and the photos are the clear standout of the three new exhibitions. King has created tiny, 8×12 models from the memory of her spring trip to the Canyon a few years ago, in which a bizarre May snowstorm prevented her from seeing the traditional postcard vista. The result is a happy accident, as the detail and contrast expressed in the large-format, black and white photos of the scale models is mesmerizing. Each photograph contains the deeply textured foreground of a precipice, with a photo of the Grand Canyon printed on a transparency, serving as the background. The visual result is seamless and jarringly real; at first, the prints appear to be photographs of actual terrain. The somewhat clever irony in the fact that a grand landscape is miniaturized as a facsimile, and expanded once again, is obvious. But what gives these prints such magnetism is the alluring mixture of uncanny fantasy, the mysterious nature of the perspective from which we see the cliff’s edge, and the size of the photographs.

Finally, Eric Lamontagne’s Road Paintings depicts ‘side-of-the-road’ landscapes that are digitally warped to create melting earth, static water, and blank skies. The displaced space is visually interesting, but it is hard to see these as Kerouacian, as suggested by the exhibit brochure’s On The Road tie-in—perhaps an attempt to build on the hype of the upcoming movie advertised on posters a block away. A vinyl road stretched across the floor of the room leads up the wall to a painting, which, in turn, depicts a road leading to a cul-de-sac. Early in the exhibit’s vernissage, the installation was amusingly improved by a toddler, who stood on the highway and looked back at her mother while she made small talk with the artist. When she left, however, the fake asphalt seemed to be all the more exposed as a thematic gimmick. It’s a shame—the pretty roadside paintings don’t need its support.

If you’re a collector with an interest in alternative depictions of landscapes or  a lover of Canadian art, this trio of exhibits is certainly worth a look. King’s work aside, however, the casual observers are likely to be underwhelmed by the majority of the works.

Duped / Duplicata, Grand Canyon: Unseen and Road Paintings are on display from Jan. 12 to March 2 at Art Mûr (5826 St. Hubert).

 

a, Arts & Entertainment

Strength of heart

by Bronte Martin on

More in a:

Recalling my encounter with Invisible Children’s KONY 2012 campaign, I reflected on this healthy reminder to be a critically thinking consumer. For those who are not familiar with the experiment, KONY 2012 was a thirty-minute online video released in an attempt to make “an obscure war criminal famous”—that criminal being none other than Joseph Kony, leader of the Ugandan thugs known as the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA).

Some 3.7 million viewers pledged their support (as did I) in a helpless (and dare I say, lazy) effort to arrest Joseph Kony and to bring a permanent end to LRA atrocities once and for all. As bystanders, we felt as if we were making a difference by liking, sharing, or hashtagging #KONY2012, but how effective can participatory social media acts be?

Fast forward to Monday, January 7, 2013. Acclaimed Vancouver-based filmmaker Jodie Martinson re-ignites our lapsed interest in the mystery that is Joseph Kony. While Invisible Children took a transnational approach to exposing the realities occurring in Uganda under Kony’s control, Martinson teamed up with a talented animator named Kunal Sen, as well as The National Film Board of Canada, to create an animated short titled Stronghearted. The film tells the story of a twelve year old girl named Evelyn Amony, who was kidnapped and made one of Joseph Kony’s wives.

As the press release describes, Stronghearted blends a “haunting first-person interview with woodcut-style animation” to create a shocking, yet intimate picture of the LRA’s history of rape and kidnapping.

Looking back on her experiences while being interviewed, Amony is emotional when discussing her torturous 11-year experience with Kony. Providing a novel perspective on the controversial topic, Martinson and Sen work together to enlighten viewers on this chapter of African history; in this instance, however, with the accuracy and truthful intentions that the KONY 2012 team was criticized for lacking.

Released simultaneously with Jodie Martinson’s full-length documentary of Amony’s experience, titled To Have and To Hold, the depth these films reach is impressive. After spending four extensive years retracing every single step in Amony’s experience with both the LRA and Kony himself, it is safe to say that along with her noteworthy past experiences in film and journalism, Martinson creates a commentary that is rich in substance, and ultimately, one which we can trust.

Exposing Evelyn Amony’s individual story is Martinson’s way of approaching the Ugandan conflict. Amony recalls a pivotal memory of crossing the Acwa River in 1994 and coming face to face with Kony, a moment powerfully portrayed by Sen’s rich animation. We not only sense that Evelyn receives closure in the telling of her story, but also gain insight into her experiences ourselves.

Martinson focuses on this very moment of Amony’s story, making us step back, and ask the ultimate question: can this ruthless man be both her abuser, as well as her savior? The inconceivable question begs an inconceivable answer—Amony remains alive, in spite of her maltreatment. We are left craving to learn more than the five-minute documentary presents.

Stronghearted’s approach is both thoughtful and thought-provoking, weaving together a commentary of “testimony and memory.” Jodie Martinson creates an unforgettable depiction of one woman’s struggle for survival, direction, and understanding in dire circumstances. Through a groundbreaking medium, we are able to gain reliable knowledge from a first-hand account with the harsh realities of central Africa and Kony himself.

Stronghearted is free to view at www.nfb.ca/film/stronghearted

a, Arts & Entertainment, Music

(III): Crystal Castles

by Will Burgess on

More in a:

If Crystal Castles’ duo of Alice Glass and Ethan Kath danced near the edge of despair in their first releases, (I) and (II), in their latest effort, (III), they take the plunge.

Producer Kath toys less with the bleepy 8-bit sound that characterized their debut, which had a threateningly manic feel, like a party animal about to snap. Instead, both he and frontwoman Glass—who tends to alternate between screaming and warbling—have made a record that sounds like a natural extension of the ideas they introduced in their sophomore effort. The background noise is still characterized by electronic synths, but they are smoother and more subdued, shifting midway through songs and progressing melodically. Glass’ vocals sound submerged and sad, often hiding behind Kath’s enveloping mix. This makes them fit into Glass’ suggested theme of “being oppressed”; her vocals do not fight the synthesized loops, but rather, submit to their persistence.

Crystal Castles’ success has always stemmed from their ability to twist the characteristically upbeat genre of electronic dance music into something dark and melancholy, and (III) pulls off this combination in a sonically exciting way. The songs aren’t as radically inventive as before, but this helps them sound more assured and balanced, rather than stale.

Overall, a pattern has emerged in the duo’s album structure, which (III) maintains with an abrasive, dissonant track (“Insulin”), a catchy single (“Wrath of God”), and a languid, lullaby ending (“Child I Will Hurt You”). (III) continues to prove that Crystal Castles is unrivalled in their ability to make their listeners enthusiastically nod their heads to such depressing material.

 

a, Arts & Entertainment, Music

Hummingbird: Local Natives

by Cristian Hertzer on

More in a:

Hot off their critically-acclaimed 2010 release Gorilla Manor, Local Natives return with Hummingbird, bringing with them a new sense of maturity and complexity. Although still possessing an authentic feel, Hummingbird presents a dramatic shift in sound, trading light, airy tones for heavy, intimate tracks that reflect the group’s coming-of-age.

Nevertheless, the band does not entirely abandon their youthful vigour, as demonstrated by tracks like “Breakers” and “Black Balloon.” On this sophomore effort, Local Natives beautifully embrace a new arena-filling sound, utilizing a more streamlined feel and form-fitting syncopated drum patterns. The band is now writing more multi-faceted sentimental pieces that lend Hummingbird a long lasting satisfaction, allowing the listener to dig deep into these emotionally layered tracks, offering something new with every listen.

Beginning with “You & I,” Hummingbird progresses into a mournful trip. The album explores despondent youth, while embracing a melancholic atmosphere reminiscent of The National (whose guitarist co-produced). On Hummingbird, one will not find the likes of Gorilla Manor’s fast-paced garage rock, but rather moody ballads like “Three Months.” Themes of uncertainty and inadequacy surface throughout the album as well, such as on “Breakers,” the album’s lead single, where singer Kelcey Ayer croons, “Waiting for my words to catch like I’m trying/ To strike a match that’s soaking wet,”—a desperate cry to be understood.

Hummingbird may be a less melodic and vibrant record than Gorilla Manor, but this sacrifice of youthful glamour is not unwarranted. The adoption of intimacy and complexity in Hummingbird establishes Local Natives as serious, versatile songwriters who are here to stay.

 

1 … 1,057 1,058 1,059 1,060 1,061 … 1,367

Read the latest issue

Read the latest issue