Daybreak (Part II)

Battlestar Galactica - Episode 4.20

The series finale is clearly cut into two distinct halves, both spotlighting the dichotomy that is Battlestar Galactica. The first hour was an edge of the seat, action and special effects extravaganza, while the second was serene and character focused. In the end, this was sort of ending I would expect from Ronald D. Moore and by the completion of the two hour and eleven minute finale, I was emotionally and physically spent.

Before the mission, there are a few moments that set up how the rest of the fleet will operate if Galactica and her crew don't make it back. The notion that Lt. Hoshi and Romo Lampkin were installed as the Admiral of the Fleet and President of the Colonies was hilarious yet made perfect sense. Adama, a battlestar commander aboard a ship that was about to be decommissioned, and Roslin, a low level cabinet member, were thrust into those roles at the beginning of the series, so it makes sense that their replacements would to.

Given that this was the final episode and that the danger and stakes were so high during the Galactica's attack on the Cylon colony, the feeling that anyone could die was potent. Once the old girl jumped only yards away from the front door and Gary Hutzel and his effects team got to work, it was hard to get excited. The work on the space battle scenes have always been topnotch, but this took it to a whole new level. Setting the conflict in a debris field on the edge of a collapsing star gave a different look than the usual star-speckled blackness, and evoked a feeling of our heroes storming the gates of hell. Every time the ship took a hit, I could almost feel it and the explosions and crew being thrown around on the inside helped sell the concussive nature of the battle. Throw in the Raptor strike teams jumping out a pylon, tearing a hole out of it, Vipers dogfighting thousands of Raiders, and red-stripped rebel Centurions punching it up with old school '70s models, and you've got battle that almost rivals the liberation of New Caprica in season two.

Boomer's demise went down as expected. It was fairly obvious over the last couple of episodes that she have a change of heart, betray Cavil, and bring Hera to the Colonials. When she delivered Hera into the arms of her parents, there was nothing left than to have Athena shoot her. Given that in a single episode a few weeks ago Boomer beat her up, tricked her husband into sex, and kidnapped her daughter, she was probably justified in her revenge.

I couldn't help but think that the resolution to the opera house vision was a little anti-climatic. This was a lot of build up to just have the outcome be Caprica Six and Baltar picking up Hera and taking her to CIC to be safe. The moment that the vision of the Final Five came into play was nicely handled, but overall it the outcome fell a bit flat.

What did work was the revelation of Head Six and Head Baltar as guiding forces for Caprica and Gaius. This helped the two wayward lovers reconnect and defined what was going on in their heads, especially Baltar's, all this time. However,the stilted delivery at the end of the episodes by these angels seemed to undercut the impact of the revelation. Still, Gaius Baltar stepped up to the plate and helped end the war by approaching Cavil in an attempt in end the cycle of violence.

The offer of resurrection by Tigh that finally sold Cavil on peace seemed too simple at first. Luckily, Moore found a way to use it to inject one more eruption of chaos. Tyrol finds out Tory's execution of Cally at the most inopportune time and keeping with his quick reactionary self, Galen kills her before the Final Five can complete the transfer of resurrection knowledge to the Cylon colony. I loved that once all hell broke loose (again), Cavil just decides to shoot himself right there. He was finally at his wits end with having to deal with all of this and decided to go out on his own terms.

A resolution that really worked was the payoff for Starbuck's destiny and the revelation of her true nature. I was disappointed when Ron Moore said on the podcast that the missing seventh model, Daniel, was not Kara's father as I and apparently half the watchers of the show felt they were led to believe. Still, her Christ like return and departure was very compelling. Kara Thrace did die when she plunged into that worm hole in season three. However, some greater force decided that she be returned in some fashion to complete her destiny. Her good-bye to Lee was sad and sweet, too.

The last hour dealt with our heroes finally finding a home. Ironically enough that home is Earth. Not the Earth from earlier in the season, but our Earth. Looking back, I don't recall ever seeing any continents from orbit of the first Earth, so this trick really worked for me. The twos, sixes, and eights decide to stay to help humanity settle in, who in turn decide to destroy their ships and technology and start from scratch. Also, we find out that Hera is to become our, the humans on Earth today, evolutionary mother (though the logistics of her spreading her genes is a bit staggering).

This was also the hour that the creators and actors went that extra mile to emotionally wreck their longtime viewers. The first was Kara's good-bye to Sam before he flew the fleet into the sun. Despite her treating him badly over the years, she did really love the man. His love was equally strong and enough to break through his Hybrid nature for him to shed a tear and say that he would see her on the other side.

Another great moment was the flashback of Saul and Ellen at a bar on Caprica. He's about to retire and she thinks she's about to get what she has always wanted: Saul. She has had to share him with his career and Bill Adama for far too long. This goes along way in explaining her behavior. She slept around on him so much because he was never there and part of her wanted to hurt him for that. At the end, Ellen finally gets her Saul all to herself as they march off through Africa to live out the rest of their years together.

The expected death of Laura Roslin was sweet, sad, and sincere. The romance between her and Bill was allowed to slowly develop over the four seasons and was well-earned. While I grew tired of seeing Adama break down so much in the past fifteen episodes, this one was really justified and I couldn't help but feel heartbroken when he put his wedding band on her hand (as telegraphed Laura's vision earlier in the season).

These moments were great and emotional, but the one that strangely got to me the most was Baltar's admission and acceptance of his farm roots and the fact that he had come full circle. James Callis played this moment extremely well and despite all the mistakes and self decisions the character had made over the years, I couldn't help but feel for him here. The character of Baltar seemed to have been directionless for most of the fourth season, but he got plenty of payoff in this finale. Oh, and he survived even though he helped start this mess in the first place.

As I mentioned above, the final scene between Head Caprica and Head Baltar falls sort of flat. Not that the idea was bad, but the execution wasn't up to James Callis or Tricia Helfer's best work. Still, I loved the use of the Jimi Hendrix version of "All Along the Watchtower" over a montage of robotic creations manufactured by the humans of Earth today. This does more to pose the question of whether or not we are doomed to repeat the mistakes of past than the conversation between the two angels.

Looking back at the series as a whole, I think that I got more personal satisfaction watching Battlestar Galactica than any other series on television. Ron Moore did an amazing job using a fantastic setting to make us reflect on real world ideas and situations. He gave us characters that were never without flaws, and rarely were any of them truly evil. It was the gray of human nature that made the show so exciting and engaging. The acting was, more often than not, excellent, particularly Mary McDonald, Edward James Olmos, and Michael Hogan. Tricia Helfer should be commended for being so versatile and so good. This was her first true acting gig. The production and special effects were motion picture worthy and I am still astonished that they were able to do so much with a television budget.

When it comes down to it, Battlestar Galactica was just a really, really good show, sci-fi or otherwise. It very, very rarely felt like a waste of an hour (I'm looking at you "Black Market"). It made me think and it thrilled me. It went out on its own terms and I'm very satisfied as a viewer who took a chance on the mini-series.

9 out of 10

Daybreak (Part I)

Battlestar Galactica - Episode 4.19

Here we are, the beginning of the end. As I suspected, and I'm sure others did as well, the last three hours will be delivered to us by the writer and director of the mini-series and the first episode of the series: creator Ronald D. Moore and Michael Rymer. These two have had the biggest impact on the show as a whole (my number three pick would be Gary Hutzel for those amazing big screen visual effects on a television budget). Moore ran the writers room for the entire project and was an executive producer. Rymer's docu-style direction has been the standard for everyone else that pointed a camera on the series. This is a perfect set up to bookend the series.

Another interesting move is another series of flashbacks. These take place at least a few years before the Cylon attack and are great reminder of how ordinary these characters were before fate trust them into the roles that they now inhabit. We get to see Adama on the verge of being put out to pasture by the military brass. We see Roslin dealing the tragic death of her sisters and father. We witness the first meeting of Starbuck and Apollo. Anders gives an interesting locker room interview that is an neat clue to his true nature. Finally, we get to see Baltar's frustration and shame when dealing with his elderly father, as well as the development of his relationship with Caprica Six.

Back in the present, Adama finally comes to the conclusion that Hera needs to be rescued. Whether this is because he believes, as the Final Five do, that she is the last best hope for the future of Cylon and potentially human civilization or that he just wants Galactica to go out in a blaze of glory is a little unclear. Maybe it's both. He asks for volunteers and it looks like the bulk of the cast is shipping out with him.

It's hard to really dig into this episode any further. This is the big set up for the final two hours. Still it's really, really well done, which is what I would expect from the team up of Moore and Rymer.

9 out of 10

Islanded in a Stream of Stars

Battlestar Galactica - Episode 4.18

It's really a shame that BSG doesn't have another half a season to explore the merging of the Colonials and the rebel Cylons into one society. I think some of the best beats for this episode were about new unholy union of these two peoples. At the beginning a Six and one of the a human crewman get into a argument about the repair work going on in their section of Galactica. An eight breaks it up and they go back to their duties. Later, when a hole tears open that same section and starts sucking people out into the vacuum, that same Six sacrifices herself and saves the life of the man she was fighting with earlier. Sure, we've seen this kind of material films about sea-faring, but it here it has the implications of a civilization on the build.

We also learn that part of the agreement that allowed the Cylons a seat on the new "Council of Captains" is that Adama would be able to transfer his flag over to the baseship and continue to have complete control of the military from there. This is a huge concession on the part of the rebels and, more than anything thus far, displays their desire to be vital and co-operative part of the fleet.

Of course this doesn't go over too well with the other ship captains. They've already started claiming pieces of the Galactica since it's obvious that the ol' girl is on her last leg. When Lee tells them that nothing is coming off the Galactic while she's still operational, one of the captains asked what does Gaius Baltar think of this. Jamie Bamber's reaction and delivery of "Gaius Baltar?!" is simple perfect. It's a mixture of shock and confusion and a little bit of pissed off.

Speaking of the Baltar, the character seems a bit rudderless as of late. What is his purpose? I think it would have been more interesting if he used his cult to make him more of a player in the political spectrum given all the changes that have been occurring politically in the fleet. Instead, we get him "outing" dead Kara as an angel and more philosophical ramblings.

Starbuck's reaction to Baltar's betrayal of her confidence was another nice moment. Instead of hauling off and decking the man in front of everyone, she simply slaps him. This is shows us that his wounding of her runs really deep. She went to him for help and he makes his findings public. She is simultaneously scared, angry, and saddened. At the same time, this offers Kara a sort of closure. The old Kara is dead and she must live as the new Kara.

Part of Kara's closure has to come from her having to accept what Sam has become, both his reveal as a Cylon and his current Hybrid-like state. Looking back, the writers were giving us clues to Sam's current condition since he was shot. His head was shaved for his brain surgery, so now he's bald like the Hybrids. He was babbling with too much information like the Hybrids, when he was trying to explain the origin of the Final Five before his operation, too. With the ship dying, it'll interesting to see what becomes of Sam. I have a feeling he'll be very important in the endgame against Cavil's forces.

The biggest blunder of the hour was yet another Adama breakdown in the bathroom. This is either the second or third this season. We shouldn't forget about prior meltdowns. Remember the model ship? What makes this even more silly is that Olmos directed this episode, so it comes off as overly indulgent.

So now we only have two episodes (three hours) left of the best science fiction show to ever grace the television screen. It looks like the ol' girl will go out with a bang, given the clues laid by the end of this episode and the previews for the next. I just hope that after the big fight with Cavil and rescue of Hera that we get at least twenty minutes of epilogue. Like Kara Thrace, I will be in need of some closure.

7 out of 10

Someone to Watch Over Me

Battlestar Galactica - Episode 4.17

This week's episode could be seen as the anti-thesis of last week's show. While "Deadlock" dealt with the fallout of Ellen Tigh's return and the what was revealed about the origin of the Cylons, "Someone to Watch Over Me" was an hour that acted as a major set up for the final push of episodes towards the series finale.

Since Tyrol and Boomer's relationship was introduced during the original mini-series, having them reunited is an interesting way to bookend the series. Both characters have undergone various transformations over four seasons. Sadly, the chief gets played with horrifying consequences.

Boomer may still have feelings for Galen, but she hates Athena and the life she has been able to live on Galactica. After Boomer's assassination attempt on Adama and murder by Cally, Athena was able to come in and take over her roll as a valued Raptor pilot and an officer. Also, Athena was able to find love and have a child. This episode we see Boomer maliciously try to take it all from her.

First Boomer beats Athena and ties her up, yet she doesn't kill her. It's as if she wants Athena to live with what being taken from.her. Even more sinister is Boomer's duping of Helo and having sex with him will a gagged and bloody Athena is powerless to do anything but watch. The hits keep on coming when Boomer's true objective, the kidnapping of Hera for Cavil, is finally revealed.

Hera's importance has always been that she is the first offspring of Cylon/Human procreation. This may not be the case, if what is hinted about Starbuck is true.

Kara spends most of the episode talking about her musician father, who abandoned her and her mother when she was a little girl, with a piano player in Joe's Bar. It becomes fairly obvious that Slick is some sort of ghost or memory loop or something otherworldly that only Kara can see. The big payoff is Kara's playing of notes given to her by Hera that end up being a song she would play with her father: "All Along the Watchtower". Conveniently, a few of the Final Five are in the bar when she starts banging it out and they react immediately.

This all but confirms that Starbuck is half Cylon and her father is the missing Seven whose model line was destoyed by Cavil. Could Kara Thrace being the harbinger of death really mean the death of the humans and Cylons living separately? Could this mean by being the first child of a Cylon and human, she is an indicator of what is to come and that the only hope for everybody is the melding of the two races into one society?

While this episode went a long way at cluing us in on Kara's true nature, the question of how Starbuck got to Earth and the nature of her apparent death and resurrection remain unanswered. To tell you the truth, I wonder if those questions will ever be answered. The speculation is fascinating, though.

9 out of 10

Deadlock

Battlestar Galactica - Episode 4.16

This week's episode deals with the repercussions of what was learned about the origin of the Cylons and the return of Ellen Tigh to the fleet. More than anything, this hour was a perfect example of how Ellen is still the selfish wife of the colonel we know and love, despite having her past memories restored. The comforting thing about this is that if and when the other four have their memories unlocked, that they won't be completely different people.

My favorite character moment of "Deadlock" occured when the Cylons take a vote whether or not to leave the fleet and strike out on their own. Ellen storms out after Saul, who voted stay, before casting her own. Tory wants to leave, but the really interesting part happens when Tyrol makes his choice. He votes to leave, too, but he says that Sam, still in a coma, would vote to stay. This says a lot about Galen Tyrol, who, despite his various flaws, is an honest and sincere person.

The tragedy involving the loss of Caprica Six and Saul's baby almost works but overall it doesn't have the emotional impact it should. The problem with this is that we never got to see these two grow close as a couple. As a result, Saul's declarations of love to Caprica while the baby's future is up in the air doesn't really ring completely true. On the flipside, Saul's grief in Adama's quarters is played perfectly by Michael Hogan and Edward James Olmos allows Bill to share it with his best friend. It seems as if these two have grown even closer after Saul was revealed to be one of the Final Five.

I'm not too sure what to make of Baltar's flock at the moment. Adama giving them guns so that they can protect themselves against the Sons of Ares may indicate the development of self-government on a local level. With the Quorum dissolved and a new system coming into place where the captains govern their own ships and represent their people under the president, the you could almost see Galactica as its own providence. It's a big ship with a lot of people, so it would make sense that different communities would develop with in her. Baltar's "town" represents a devil Adama and Roslin know and have dealt with and whom have demonstrated a level of charity and a call for unity.

The last thing worth mentioning is growing evidence that the fleet, at least on the Galactica level, is becoming a mixture of human and Cylon. This episode is full of these indicators. Saul sums it up the best when he justifies sticking with the fleet by saying that humans alone and Cylons alone has only ended badly and maybe it's time to change that. While shots of Adama constantly overseeing the repairs to Galactica by the mixed workforce got tedious, they were there to reinforce the changing state of the ship. The final scene where Roslin and Adama witness a Six at the memorial wall and the various pictures of fallen Cylons drives the point home that the humans aren't the only ones adapting. The former enemy has also begun to assimilate to the new culture of the fleet.

7 out of 10

No Exit

Battlestar Galactica - Episode 4.15

"No Exit" provides more background information about the origins of the Cylons and the Final Five than any episode to date. The exceptional thing is that this done without weighing down the hour in boring exposition. The creators should be applauded for not only making this episode extremely entertaining and one of the best of the season (if not the series).

This all unfolds in two different manners. First we witness Ellen Tigh's resurrection on a Cylon Baseship controlled by Cavil. This is the true Ellen, a mixture of the hard drinking, promiscuous wife of the Galactica's XO and an apparently highly intelligent woman that was partially responsible for the resurrection technology used to save the Final Five during the destruction of Earth. Kate Vernon walks the line perfectly. This is same woman we saw during the first three seasons of the series, but there's a new since of wisdom added to her texture.

We learn a lot about how the Final Five created the skin job Cylons, starting with Cavil, whom Ellen calls by his given name, John. Dean Stockwell plays Cavil as a bitter, thankless son, that wants more than the life he was given. He feels limited by the way Ellen and the others created him. Adding a creepy subtext is the fact that he knew who she really was when she was sleeping with him on New Caprica in order to get Saul released.

Also revealed is the fact that there was another model that we've never seen: the seven named Daniel. This was a smart way of explaining why we've only seen seven human models other than the Final Five, but the Sharons were the eights. The tragic story of Daniel further illustrates John's anger and jealousy when we find out that he boxed the original and spoiled the genetic code for the rest of the line.

The second manner in which the Cylon history is unveiled is through the ramblings of Sam Anders, who was shot in the head last episode. The brain injury has given him partial access to his blocked memories. Complicating things is that he has a limited time to get out all he can remember to Saul, Galen, and Tory before having to submit to life saving surgery, as well as a great deal of aphasia muddying up his delivery. The brilliance of this is that it allows the writers to only unload a limited amount of story and adds a sense of urgency that Sam may not be able to get everything out that he wants.

While this going on, Starbuck is continually by Sam's bed. Her reasoning is twofold: she still loves Sam and wants him to live, but she is also hoping to find out more information about herself and her own resurrection. Unfortunately, those two things don't necessarily go hand in hand.

Also, perculating in the background is Adama and Tyrol butting heads as to how to save Galactica. She's falling apart. Her damage is almost like a cancer and in a way reflects what's happening to the admiral's other love, Laura Roslin. Tyrol has a Cylon solution, but Adama is resistant. He doesn't seem to have a problem staffing the ship with a few Cylons in key positions, but he's only willing to go so far. It isn't until he witnesses the extent of the damage in his own quarters does it all literally hit home with Bill and he decides to let Galen do what he has to to save the ship.

"No Exit" was a extremely fine hour of BSG. With the amount of information delivered, it could have been pretty boring, but the writers were able to present it in an extremely entertaining fashion. There is a real feeling that the show is wrapping up soon and the mysteries are all coming into the light.

9 out of 10

Blood on the Scales

Battlestar Galactica - Episode 4.14

While "Blood on the Scales" has its share of action, it's the character moments that really sell this episode. Also, with the deaths of a few important recurring characters, the feeling that this show is nearing an endpoint and that no one is safe continue to prevail.

The last time we saw Captain Kelly, he was thrown in the brig for assassinating members of Baltar's legal defense team. This time around, he has to battle conflicting emotions of liberating Galactica from the possibility of Cylon control and his emotional ties to the people he is fighting. It comes to a head when he has Tyrol dead to rights, but lets him go. Yes, Galen is a Cylon, but he's also a guy Kelly worked closely with for years. When he is confronted by Apollo, Athena, and Tigh, Kelly completely commits to switching back over to Adama's side.

Tom Zarak comes across a little too heavy-handed, however. When he realizes that the Quorum might not back him up, he has them all executed. This may have been necessary if Gaeta decided to end the coup after he saw the bodies, but he doesn't. If anything, Zarak's actions help solidify who the good guys and bad guys are for the audience. I prefer my BSG to be a little less black and white.

The best moment in the show comes when Gaeta is sitting in a room with Baltar, having a drink and a smoke while reflecting on things past after Adama has taken back the ship. Gaeta talks about his youthful ambitions and his intellectual background while Baltar sits there on the verge of tears the entire time. It isn't until the next scene that we become fully aware of the true gravity of the situation: this is Felix's last meal.

Considering the death toll and the damage caused by the coup, it's not unreasonable that Adama and Roslin would have Zarak and Gaeta executed. At the same time, this adds symmetry to Zarak's execution of the Quorum and Gaeta's ordering Adama's death by firing squad. Felix's character journey has been interesting to watch over four seasons and it demonstrates how inherently good people can be changed by extreme circumstances.

Other things I liked:
- After watching Tyrol crawl around the guts of the ship for an hour, we get a great payoff. He was making his way to the FTL drive the entire time to take it off-line, and just in time. Nice visuals for the machinery involved, too.

- Romo Lampkin's conflicted expression when he finally decides to help Starbuck with a severely wounded Sam, after stabbing the guard with a pen. This is the second time this has happened. Someone needs to stash all writing tools in the armory.

- Roslin's anger and conviction when she is told that Adama is dead (which was a lie). I think the Cylons were a bit scared of her, too.

8 out of 10

The Oath

Battlestar Galactica - Episode 4.13

If the last two episodes were about the emotional impact of finding an Earth in ruin and the planting of seeds for things to come, "The Oath" is the action packed fallout. It may be easy to feel a little out of sorts due to the dramatic tone switch, since the previous hours were so character heavy. Still, I think this episode had a lot to offer and gave us a sense that things will never be the same. Then again, doesn't almost every other episode of BSG do that?

Here's some lessons learned from watching "The Oath":

1. Always keep an eye on the guy who's in charge of ship-wide operations like co-ordinating damage control and communications. Gaeta was in the perfect position to keep the deception up while at CIC. Given the fact that he's been at that job for years and has always been loyal, no one suspected anything suspicious was going on until it was too late.

2. Always keep an eye on the guy who's in charge of keeping the ship running. Tyrol's knowledge of the ship was a game changer for the Adama/Roslin camp. It was was good to see that he is still loyal to the old man even after the revelation that the chief is a Cylon.

3. Hell hath no furry like a Vice President scorned. Unlike Gaeta, Zarak knows that once you commit to an act of rebellion or terrorism, you go all the way. Unfortunately, the lesson was also learned by a deck chief on the business end of a wrench.

4. Do not frak with Starbuck. The woman will kill you dead. It was sooooooo good to get the Kara Thrace we all know and love back. She was shooting people in the head and throwing her tongue down Lee's throat... just like old times.

5. Do not underestimate two old guys that have been working together for decades. Watching Adama and Tigh, take out their captors was classic. They got to go out in a blaze of glory at the end of the hour, Wildbunch style, too. Hopefully, the guys make it through cliffhanger shoot 'em up.

6. Once everyone finds out that you're related to the folks that committed genocide, moving out of the neighborhood for a while might be a viable option. It was sad to see Sam get duped by Seelix, given that they had a brief relationship. Also, things aren't looking too hot for Caprica Six, Hera, Athena, and Helo. To make matters worse, one of the Pegasus "Yee-Haw" Boys wants to get back at Helo for Thorne's death, by taking it out on Sharon. This will probably end with Helo throwing another person's head against and exposed bolt.

7. People can come together when they realized that they're just as screwed up as the next person. It was great to see Roslin and Baltar come to an understanding and look for ways to end the mutiny. Baltar's cult has been nicely set up as a fourth faction (if you count Adama/Roslin's group, Zarak/Gaeta group, and the Cylons as the others). Baltar's plea to Gaeta was handled really well, too. It was a solid mixture of fear and a genuine concern for the ending of violence.

The previews lead me to believe that things are going to go from bad to really bad. Roslin is back in a take charge role and she's going to be on the one ship that can give the Galactica a challenge, the rebel Cylon baseship. We've already seen images of Adama standing in an airlock from the previews before the second half of season four began, but I don't think they'll do in the old guy just yet. If anyone is taking an unprotected joyride into the final frontier, it'll be Felix or Zarak. Bodies are going to hit the floor (or the vacuum); it's just a question of whose.

7 out of 10

A Disquiet Follows My Soul

Battlestar Galactica - Episode 4.12

After an emotionally wrenching episode last Friday, this week's offering is more subtle in tone while moving pieces in to place for some volatile payoff down the road. It is also worth noting that this is show creator and head writer Ronald D. Moore's first turn at directing. He does a decent job and doesn't fall into the trap of trying to be too avant garde like many first time directors.

It's good to have Edward James Olmos playing a cooler Adama this time around. He chewed up so much scenery over the last two or three episodes, that I feared that there wouldn't be any set left to act on. While it was heavy handed, the man still was amazing to watch in those performances. Still, Olmos is one of those actors that can convey so much more without saying a word than when he speaks and "A Disquiet Follows My Soul" plays to those strengths.

The repetition of the admiral's daily routine helps to reinforce that the man is trying to pull himself together after all the bombshells that were dropped on the fleet as of late, as well as a demonstration of a man trying to lead by example. Earth sucked, but life must go on, even if it means keeping the deck clear of discarded pieces of paper. He's not prepared to give up just yet.

Laura Roslin is different matter, though. She's caring the burden of guilt over leading humanity to what appears to be a dead end. Also, she's coming to grips that all the medication she's taking won't cure her cancer, so she would rather spend what little time she has left doing things that make her happy, like exercising or being with Bill. Her scene with Bill in the corridors of the Galactica, after he catches her running, was very real. He doesn't want her to overexert herself, yet he let's her win this argument, because he loves her so much and wants her to have some semblance of happiness before the end.

The funny thing is, Laura thinks that Bill needs a break from everything, too. This is probably a combination of her concern that now he is piling full responsibility for the fleet on his own shoulders now that she has checked out and her desire to spend time with the man she loves. This relationship continues to feel mature and real and is one of the best romances I've ever seen depicted on television.

The revelation about Tyrol's son made sense. The writers needed resolve a potential conflict in the series' mythology due to the reveal that the chief is a Cylon. Hera has been hailed as some sort of figure of divinity due to being half human and half Cylon, but little Nicky has hardly been mentioned. Moore and company went with an Occam's Razor solution and Tyrol isn't really the kid's father. It will be interesting if Galen continues to act as Nicky's dad now that Hot Dog has been revealed as his real father. Maybe they'll pull double duty, which their scene in sickbay seems to indicate.

Tyrol has some great moments during the briefing with Adama, Lee, Tigh, Gaeta, and Helo. He keeps having identity issues when referring to the Cylons. He stumbles over "them" and "we". The biggest impact of this scene is that the rebel Cylons want to join the fleet with full membership plus a seat at Quorum. In return, they will refit FTL drives of all the colonial ships with Cylon technology. This will triple their jump range, allowing the fleet to find a new home much faster.

The scene between Starbuck and Gaeta was extremely intense. He's got a lot reasons to hold a grudge against her. Keeping with her character and the fact that she's still reeling from having to dispose of her own corpse, she doesn't take any of his crap. Between the "Face of the Enemy" webisodes and these last two hours, Felix is without a doubt being set up to facilitate a civil war within the fleet. His partnering up with Tom Zarak seals his fate. This is not going to end well for the one-legged officer.

Once again, Battlestar Galactic gives us another hour of sophisticated television that we can mull over for a week until the next episode. With only eight more shows to go, there continues to be a feeling that anything can happen and anyone is expendable. With Earth now out of the equation, there's no telling how this series will wrap up.

8 out of 10

Sometimes a Great Notion

Battlestar Galactica - Episode 4.11

If I have one complaint about the first episode of the second half of the fourth season of Battlestar Galactica (that's a mouthful), is that the "Previously..." section let us know up front that something was going down with Dee. Not that I saw her suicide coming, but up to that point I was wondering if she was going to be revealed as the Fifth or if she was going to die. Still, the event was both sad and shocking.

Dee's death and despair gives us a tangible example of how the entire fleet is affected by the fact that Earth, the so called Promise Land, is a wasteland. The tracking shot of Bill Adama walking through Galactica's corridors further displays the hopelessness. People have their heads hung silence or they're crying. At one point, the admiral walks past a fist fight on his way to get Saul Tigh to shoot him. Bill can't do it himself, but his drunken plan falls apart when his XO sees right through it.

Kara's life gets flipped on its head after finding the wreckage of her Viper as well as what appears to be her own burnt up body. This causes her to further question her identity and her purpose. The situation is such a mindbender that even Leoben, who is always confident about fate and destiny, is afraid about the uncertainty of the situation. Both actors play this scene perfectly and the fear and doubt is etched all over their faces.

Another shocker is the reveal that the people on Earth, the thirteenth colony, are all genetically Cylon. What does this all mean? Did the Earth Cylons create the humans that went to the stars and became the Twelve Colonies? Is there an endless cycle of creators being destroyed by the created over and over again? This has all happened before...

Coinciding with this, the four revealed members of the Final Five begin to have flashbacks of their lives on Earth, before the nuclear annihilation. This all comes to a head when Saul has his own flashback and sees his wife Ellen who tells him not to worry and that everything is in place.

Is Ellen Tigh the final cylon? I think that there is a possibility that she is a version of the Six model. There are some behavioral similarities and Saul has developed a connection with Caprica Six. Also, he had flashbacks of Ellen during one of his interrogations of Six.

This is a really bleak kick off to the final run of episodes, but still Battlestar Galactica maintains its usual level of excellence.

8 out of 10

Best Songs of 2008 - #10 - #1

10. "The Kelly Affair" by Be Your Own Pet - The fact that this song is inspired by the film Beyond the Valley of the Dolls is pretty goofy, but BYOP still deliver a fun little rock number. If I was a teenage boy, I would probably build a shrine to singer Jemina Pearl. I love her snotty, sexy growl.


9. "Love Dog" by TV on the Radio - I think the TVOTR is the most important band in America today. They are the U.S. answer to Radiohead. "Love Dog" builds and builds over the course of five and half minutes. Serene and beautiful. Tunde Adebempe's voice is gorgeous and that Rhodes piano and the horns simply kills me.


8. "The Perfect Boy" by The Cure - This is the best song Robert Smith has written in a long, long time. His vocals are great and he delivers a nice little story. I love Simon Gallup's bass slides on the second chorus.


7. "Ready for the Floor" by Hot Chip - In theory, Hot Chip shouldn't work. They make some of the grooviest dance music today and the band is fronted by a little dude in glasses and a big, burly, bearded guy. Like "Playboy" a few years ago, "Ready for the Floor" is further proof that these guys know what the hell they're doing.


6. "Mouthwash" by Kate Nash - What a voice! Kate Nash gets lumped in with the recent British Girl Wave (see Adele, Duffy, Lilly Allen, etc.), but she's a pretty decent songwriter. Kudos to the drummer for taking the ending to the next level. He pounds the crap out of the skins on this number.


5. "My Only Offer" by Mates of State - I had the fortune of seeing Mates of State in concert this past year. They can do so much with just keyboards, drums, and two voices. For some reason I had a habit of singing this song while cooking during the fall. Must be the cute, married couple vibe of the band.


4. "Electric Feel" by MGMT - There's something I just like about MGMT. On the surface, their songs sound pretty irreverence, but there's an undercurrent of sincerity. I had a hard time deciding which of the three MGMT songs ("Kids", "Time to Pretend", "Electric Feel") that rocked my world to put on this list, but "Electric Feel" won out.

MGMT - New Music - More Music Videos

3. "Little Bit" by Lykke Li - Simple, sparse, and stripped down. Excellent use steel drums and mandolin. Of course I can't leave out that sweet, pouty, cute voice. The lyrics are kind of goofy at times, but the intent is pure.

Lykke Li - New Music - More Music Videos

2. "I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With You" by Black Kids - There's been a bit of a Black Kids backlash after their full length album failed to deliver on the promise of their four track EP "Wizard of Ahhhs", but there's no denying this song. Pure pop gold. The sheer repetition of the verse and chorus will cause this song to worm its way into your brain. I prefer the EP version over the LP mix.


1. "My Year in Lists" by Los Campesinos! - (How ironic!) Young angst has never sounded so amazing! I raved about this song earlier in the year and it has yet to lose its luster. Where were you when I needed you Los Campesinos! You would have been the soundtrack of my college days! Amazing boy/girl vocals and a second verse that makes me want to laugh and cry simultaneously. Brilliant.

Best Songs of 2008 - #15 - #11

15. "The Step and the Walk" by The Duke Spirit - It may sound strange, but I would have been very disappointed if the lead singer of The Duke Spirit wasn't rockin' some long hair. Her voice just oozes with Grace Slick cool, Stevie Nicks power, and a dash of Nico. This kind of voice has a visual archetype and thankfully Liela Moss fits it. The tinny production also adds to the song's old rock feel.


14. "Cath..." by Death Cab for Cutie - After the downer that was Plans, DCFC delivered a much better record with Narrow Stairs. Not that Ben Gibbard hasn't stopped writing angsty, moody lyrics, but at least the tempo is a little quicker for some of the tracks. "Cath..." is one of the best on the record. Smart lyrics, a good character study, and some solid guitar work.


13. "Supernatural Superserious" by R.E.M. - I hated that I had written off one of my favorite bands of all time. Reveal and Around the Sun were so... dull. It felt like the band had stopped trying. Thank God for Accelerate. R.E.M. returned with a thirty-five minute rock album and it was grand. The lead off single was one of the best of the bunch and I love, love, love those Mike Mills harmonies.


12. "L.E.S. Artistes" by Santogold - While most people were ready to lump Santogold with M.I.A. after the third world throwdown that was "Creator", it was "L.E.S. Artistes" and "Lights Out" that made people really stand up and pay attention. This song has one of the best opening hooks of the year.


11. "Kim & Jessie" by M83 - I fell in love with this tune at first listen. It sounds like every John Hughes movie soundtrack rolled into one song. Lush and gorgeous.

Best Songs of 2008 - #20 - #16

20. "GfC" by Albert Hammond Jr. - What little I've heard of this Strokes guitarist's solo work, I've liked. He actually has a more emotive voice than the sleepy sound of the lead singer of his regular band. There are some really good guitar lines and it all builds to a rockin' solo.


19. "Balloons" by Foals - This song sounds like the mashing of math rock with '80s aesthetics: group shouts, saxophone, Power Station drumming, etc. The result is a really catchy song.


18. "2080" by Yeasayer - Very moody and lingering. The singer's voice sort of reminds me of Maynard James Keenan (Tool, A Perfect Circle). Really great harmonies overall. The spiralling guitar line adds to the dreamlike feel of the song.


17. "Ghost Under Rocks" by Ra Ra Riot - This song has a great driving beat and the cello and violin are wonderfully utilized. Great vocal performance, too. The chorus sticks in my head after a listen.


16. "Tessellate" by Tokyo Police Club - Another song where the snare is beaten to death. Great piano hook. And, hey, how often do you get to hear the work 'tessellate' used in a song?

Best Songs of 2008 - #25 - #21

25. "Second Chance" by Liam Finn - The son of the legendary Neil Finn offers up a sweet number with a wonderful falsetto (I'm sensing a trend in this countdown). This song breezes along until the tempo ramps up and the keyboards swell. Great intro, too.


24. "Falling Down" by Oasis - I haven't given two spits about Oasis since Be Here Now. Everything since that 1997 album has been a weak attempt at trying to recapture the gold that was Definitely Maybe and What's the Story, Morning Glory. On "Falling Down" Noel takes the lead vocals and he's seems to have integrated some to the driving beats he may have picked while collaborating with the Chemical Brothers.


23. "White Winter Hymnal" by Fleet Foxes - This is like a song out of time. Its style and production almost convinces me that "White Winter Hymnal" is actually a lost recording from forty years ago. Short, sweet, and one of the best vocal performances of the year.


22. "California Girls" by The Magnetic Fields - Shoe-gaze meets '60s girl pop. The Beach Boys may of loved the ladies from the left coast, but our singer sure has a bone to pick... or is that a battle axe? There's lots of great imagery on this track.


21. "Discipline" by Nine Inch Nails - Oasis, the Magnetic Fields, and Nine Inch Nails all in one post? It's like the '90s never ended! To tell you the truth, I probably wouldn't have heard this song if it wasn't for Trent Reznor giving The Slip away for free online. It's a surprisingly solid record and "Discipline" is the standout track. It's got a few of Reznor's signature sounds. Haunted house piano line? Check. White noise machine? Check. Tortured, nasally singing? Check. But it's all wrapped around an infectious disco beat and some great "doot-doot-doots". Also, since the song is called "Discipline", I can't help but like how Reznor starts to sing too early and catches himself. It maybe a bit obvious, but it works. (The Saturday Night Fever mash up video is perfect.)

Best Songs of 2008 - #30 - #26

Back to our regularly scheduled program:

30. "The Rat" by Dead Confederate - Nothing screams angst like a slow, brooding burner of a song that occasionally explodes with loud guitars. The self-deeming lyrics and spooky organ are just icing on a tortured cake. This song reminds me a little of a band from earlier in the decade called Ours, except without the Jeff Buckley-esque vocals.


29. "Sleepyhead" by Passion Pit - Soul, funk, disco, and electro all smash up together in this groovy little number. Love the falsetto singing on this song. It's the type of tune that if you play it loud enough on your computer at work, you'll get strange looks.


28. "Evil Urges" by My Morning Jacket - Louisville represent! Speaking of falsettos, ol' Jim James is working his overtime on "Evil Urges". It's a sweet, funky number and its always great to see MMJ mess around with different genres. I think the song would have been fine without the prerequisite guitar jam in the middle, though. Still, another strong song from the hometown crowd.


27. "The Opposite of Hallelujah" by Jens Lekman - There's something charming about a song sung in English when it's not the singer's national tongue. This cute little number seems to be about a brother that's failing miserably at dispensing advice to his little sister. Very catchy.


26. "Hang Them All" by Tapes 'n' Tapes - This nervous, jittery song continues to build the tension until an explosive release and a repeated declaration of the title.

Best Songs of 2008 - #35 - #31

Here's the latest installment of my annual look back at the songs that wormed their way into my subconscious and dominated my iPod playlists.

35. "Why Do You Let Me Stay Here?" by She & Him - This is the musical collaboration of M. Ward and actress Zooey Deschanel. It's a pleasant little tune and like the way Deschanel says "credit" near the end. The "oooos" and "doot-doots" on the outro almost make me willing to forgive Deschanel for appearing in that god-awful M. Night movie, The Happening, earlier this year.


34. "Valerie Plame" by The Decemberists - This song has Colin Meloy singing about a fictitious love affair with real world outted spy, Valerie Plame Wilson. My favorite part is the reference to a Vespa as a chariot and the Greenzone Marriott. Very clever Mr. Meloy. Musically, this song is very White Album Beatles right down to the "Hey Jude" ending.


33. "Chicago X 12" by Rogue Wave - Admittedly this type of song is usually a little too VH1 for my tastes, but I love some great woodblock work. It reminds me of Remy Zero and some the great songs they had about a decade ago. (Video here)

32. "Keep Your Eyes Ahead" by The Helio Sequence - Good driving beat and I like how the guitars pick up a little edge before the second verse. The spacey breakdown in the middle is pretty cool, too.


31. "Set It Off" by Girl Talk - This is pretty much the kind of song you expect from this mash-up artist. I've got to admit the pairing of "Paranoid Android" with Jay-Z is pretty damn awesome. The Mary J. Blige "Real Love" over top "These Eyes" is almost as brilliant. However, nothing beats the section where Bubba Sparxxx raps over "Come On Eileen".

Best Songs of 2008 - #40 - #36

2008 is quickly coming to a close and it's time for my annual music countdown. Despite the work, I had a lot of fun with this last year, so I thought I'd give it another go. Keep in mind, this is a very loose countdown. The numbering is pretty vague and doesn't really matter until about the top twenty or fifteen. The bottom half could easily bounce around in order given my mood, but I had to establish some kind of order.

Like last year, the songs selected are the ones that dominated my iPod over the course of 2008. Some songs may have been released in 2007, but got significant play via my outlets for new music: Sirius' Left of Center (now called Sirius XMU), Subterranean on MTV2, and the ever polarizing Pitchfork (and Pitchfork.tv). Enjoy!

40. "Paris" by Friendly Fires - We start off with a catchy little dance number. Excellent cow bell and drum work. Nice send up on the chorus and the chill out ending is a cool way to bring it all home for the last quarter of the song.


39. "Eraser" by No Age - It has a long intro, but the guitar/drums duo really kicks it into gear about halfway through the song. Lo-fi, but fun.


38. "A-Punk" by Vampire Weekend - Boy, didn't this band just blow up really quickly this year. I wasn't completely won over like a lot of folks, but I found their songs entertaining enough. A lot of Paul Simon/Peter Gabriel/world music influence here.


37. "Two Doors Down" by Mystery Jets - Talk about being unashamedly in love with '80s New Wave. Still, Mystery Jets take the aesthetics of Wang Chung, the Outfield, Tears for Fears, and other bands of the era and have written a really fun song.


36. "Right Hand On My Heart" by The Whigs - And the '80s gave way to the '90s. The Whigs have got that grunge era rock sound down. This song reminds me of the band Love Battery and the verse sounds like the melody of "Pepper" by Butthole Surfers.

I Made a Promise to Myself...

The Cure - 4:13 Dream

Ever since the birth of the Cure over thirty years ago and through a multitude of personnel changes, there have only been three other musicians in the band that managed to not only match Robert Smith in talent and technique, but also push the band's principle songwriter creatively. Those three musicians would be bassist Simon Gallup, guitarist Porl Thompson, and drummer Boris Williams. It's practically indisputable that the Cure's most successful era, both artistically and commercially, was when all three were in the band at the same time. Not to undercut the contributions of Roger O'Donnell, Perry Bamonte, or Lol Tolhurst, but Gallup, Thompson, Williams, and of course Smith were the driving forces behind The Head on the Door, Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Disintegration, and Wish.

I bring this up in my review for the newest album but the Cure, 4:13 Dream, because I believe that it is the best album by the band since that historic period. While Robert Smith was able to retain Simon Gallup during the interim, Wild Mood Swings, Bloodflowers, and The Cure, all fell short for various reasons. Wild Mood Swings was too long and didn't have enough really great material to justify the length. Bloodflowers was D.O.A. due to being over-hyped, too many expectations, and the strange need to force a third chapter to some imagined trilogy. The Cure was a move into the right direction and overcame a lot of what weakened the previous two efforts. Still, the primary reason why these three albums could not come anywhere close to the "Big Four" was due to a lack of creative challenge from the other musicians. Bamonte, O'Donnell, and drummer Jason Cooper are all very skilled, but their playing lacked the identity and ability to add to Smith's songs that make them more than the sum of their parts.

4:13 Dream is the first album in sixteen years to feature Porl Thompson. I've never been shy about the fact that Thompson is the biggest influence on my own guitar playing, so when his return was first announced, I was more than excited. He's an amazing musician and deeply creative. His playing has always stood as a brilliant juxtaposition to Robert Smith's guitar work. Perry Bamonte did a fine job, but apart from a few overused guitar licks, I could never tell where Smith ended and he began. This has never been the case with Thompson. The new record is made even better by his return.

Not that Porl Thompson should get all the credit, but his return seems to have lit a fire under both Robert Smith and Simon Gallup. Gallup's bass work seems more inspired by Thompson's output. It's as if he saw a creative challenge and was able to rise up to meet it. More importantly, Smith has finally reestablished himself as one of the most important songwriters in the last three decades.

In the last decade, Robert Smith's most annoying habit as a lyricist has been the pro/con, positive/negative writing. It practically ruined Bloodflowers for me and smacks of laziness. Sure, he still employs a variation of this on "The Perfect Boy", but this is an instance where it actually pushes the song's narrative and it really works. There are still songs where gold, silver, and crystal replace each other or there's a new season per verse, but it isn't as noticeable as when a verse is completely repeated except that "always" is replaced by "never". So as far as lyrically crafting goes, 4:13 Dream is a major step up over the previous three records.

Another noticeable improvement on 4:13 Dream is Robert Smith's ability to change up his singing rhythm from song to song. His singing has always been brilliant and that voice is unforgettable, but delivery has rarely varied. Not so on the new album. On "This. Here and Now. With You" he slowly builds over the duration of the song and crescendos at a brilliant bridge. Like the music, Smith's delivery on "Underneath the Stars" moves at a glacial pace. There's fury in "The Scream" and "It's Over", which is he sings at a breakneck speed. All of this helps in giving each song a unique identity.

"Underneath the Stars" - This is a really amazing opening track and ranks up there with some the best openers from the Cure's catalogue like "The Kiss", "Plainsong", and "Want". "Underneath the Stars" is truly majestic in nature and moves at a slow but determined pace. It calls back to Disintegration more so than any song produced since that landmark album, more so than anything on the supposed sequel Bloodflowers. Why it took almost two decades for Smith to create a track that could rivals the beauty and power that encapsulate that 1989 album is unknown. Maybe he just stopped trying so hard and let it come naturally.

"The Only One" - I wrote quite a bit about this song when it was released as the first single earlier this year. What I will mention here is that it's placement as the second song fits with the tradition of upbeat pop songs that get the album rolling forward like "Play for Today", "Primary", "High", and "Club America". This isn't the best song on the record, but it's a sweet, dumb, fun number and very much in the tradition of one of the Cure's biggest hits "Friday, I'm in Love". Like that polarizing track, "The Only One" may have some inane lyrics, but the guitar work is skilled and fluid.

"The Reason Why" - The pop continues with this awesome number. Simon Gallup's bass has never sounded this much like New Order's Peter Hook as it does on the opening lick for "The Reason Why". That's not a bad thing and he doesn't over do it. Porl has his own catchy riff during the verses, too. This is the type of song that made me fall in love with the Cure in the first place. It's melancholia wrapped in a brightly colored package. This song definitely could be released as a single and is one of my favorite tracks on an already excellent record.

"Freakshow" - I went into depth on this number when I wrote about the single. It continues to grow on me with each listen and the studio version is still better than the live rendition due to all the instrumental layering.

"Sirensong" - This is a pleasant mid-tempo acoustic strummer. What really sells this song is the slide guitar work by Porl Thompson. This is something unique to the Cure catalogue, but it feels natural and not forced. I also really like the layered "she said, she said" vocals that proceed the chorus. Short and sweet.

"The Real Snow White" - Like "Freakshow" I wasn't totally sold on the live version of the song due to it sounding thin with only Thompson on guitar. The recorded rendition is a whole lot better. The Cure almost sound like the Pixies here with Smith's sly phrasing and Thompson's collapsing guitar line. Definitely a grower.

"The Hungry Ghost" - This is another song that could have easily been released as a single. "The Hungry Ghost" is a solid pop/rock number that features some uncharacteristic outward looking lyrics from Smith. His forte is romance and falling in or out of it, but this is one of those rare numbers where he increases the scope of his themes. Luckily, it isn't as obvious or clumsy like "Us or Them". Thompson employs an echoing, almost Edge-like guitar part for this number.

"Switch" - On a few Cure albums there's a song that seems to not fit into the overall scheme of the record as smoothly as the others. Not that they're bad songs, but "Wendy Time", "Strange Attraction" (correction: this song is painfully abysmal), "Anniversary" don't seem to gel as naturally with their respective albums for some reason or other. "Switch" is that song for 4:13 Dream. This sort of "machine rock" number (see "Wrong Number") isn't as organic as the two rocking closers on the album, thus sticking out a bit. This song gets points for Thompson's crazy intro, though.

"The Perfect Boy" - I've already raved about this song enough when I reviewed the single. It's still one of the best songs Robert Smith has written in the last decade and a half.

"This. Here and Now. With You." - This is a pleasant little builder. It starts off low and gentle and climaxes into a beautifully loud (but not rocking) bridge. Smith gets to use some interesting vocal phrasing on this one, too. If anything, it serves as the calm before the closing storm.

"Sleep When I'm Dead" - This song begins the build towards a loud, violent conclusion to 4:13 Dream. I wrote about "Sleep When I'm Dead" back when the single was released. It's still a song that continues to grow on me. I hear elements of "The Hanging Garden" in the bass during the verse. I really like the chaos of the bridge near the end. It acts as a hint of what's to come.

"The Scream" - This brooding builder is fantastic. It seems to take the best elements of the rockers on The Top and the legendary, unreleased "Forever" and perfect them. I wonder if Gallup broke any bass strings on the madness that ends the song. Thompson's guitar turns into a swarm of bees by the conclusion and Jason Cooper does some of his best drum work here. Smith's wailing is spot on here.

"It's Over" - There's a reason why the Cure closed the primary set of their shows this past tour with this number; how can you possibly continue to play another song with out a break after this high speed, brutal number? This is the type of track that "Give Me It" and "Shiver and Shake" always had the potential of reaching but never quite achieved. Layers of insane guitars by Smith and Thompson, thundering drumming by Cooper, and an impossibly amazing bass line by Gallup. Smith sings at 100 miles per hour which just increases the intensity. "It's Over" blasts in, does the job, and gets the hell out. If the next album is to be the darker sister to 4:13 Dream, then it has been savagely set up by this awesome song.

If I had one real gripe about 4:13 Dream, it would be the over reliance on vocal effects, but it's not enough to diminish everything I enjoy about the record. 4:13 Dream is the type of album by the Cure that is in the spirit of The Head on the Door, Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me, and Wish; it’s made up of a batch of songs that showcases the many styles of the band, leaning more towards the pop and the rock side of their sound. I would put its quality on par with Wish. While Wish had more songs that I would consider classics, 4:13 Dream holds together better as a collective unit. If this is the "dream", then I'm looking forward to the release next year of the companion album for the "nightmare".

8 out of 10

So Come On, Jump With Me

The Cure - The Perfect Boy (Mix 13)/Without You

"The Perfect Boy" is the fourth and final singles to be released once a month before the new album by the Cure which has been rescheduled to drop in October. Of all the new songs that the band has been playing on their recent tour, this is the one that I've enjoyed the most ("Underneath the Stars" is close second). It sounded really great on the multiple live recordings I've listened to and I've been very eager to hear a studio version.

For the most part, "The Perfect Boy (Mix 13)" lives up to my expectations, but I have one problem with this single mix: the vocal effects. There is way too much reverb throughout the song and a slightly distorted chorusing effect during sections of the pre-chorus and refrain. It doesn't add anything to the song and can be a little distracting. I'm going to assume that this is part of the single remix and that the album cut will be less doctored.

However, that's my only beef with this single. The rest of the song is pure Cure gold. This is the best single to be released by the Cure since "Mint Car" (a truly glorious pop song in of itself). I would go as far as to say that this is the best song Robert Smith has written in over a decade for various reasons.*

"The Perfect Boy" is a wonderful example of sonic build, climax, breakdown, and resolution. The song begins with just Robert's voice and muted guitar part. Simon Gallup and Jason Cooper come in on bass and drums after four quick lines. At the same time, Robert's guitar part is echoed with a distorted line. Guitarist Porl Thompson holds back until the pre-chorus and then continues to provide splashes of chords during the second verse.

Things really get rolling with the second chorus. A few things happen here that brings the song to a head: Robert doubles the number of lines, there is some guitar layering, Jason continually smashes the hell out of the cymbals, and most importantly, Simon changes his bass line to include a slide during each line. For me this is the highlight of the entire song and it really peaks musically here. This is followed by pulling everything back except for Robert's vocals and original guitar line. "The Perfect Boy" resolves with the instruments picking back up to the level played at on the second verse.

Lyrically, this is one of Robert Smith's best songs in quite some time. Ironically, it plays with a device that I've grown tired of him using: positive and negative verses. However, it really works within the context of the song's narrative. The first verse is from the point of view of the girl that thinks she's found the perfect boy. She wants to take things slow and enjoy the relationship as it unfolds. The second verse is from the boy's perspective. This guy doesn't care to wait around. Not only does he want to get physical, but he doesn't want to stick around for the afterglow ("And I don't want to get obvious, But I have to be gone by three.")

The boy's lines are direct responses to the girl's words and he comes off like a bit of a jerk. He tells her that her world of two people "doesn't happen for real". At the same time, though, he plays head games by saying "If it was meant to be us, it was meant to be now. Don't see the sense in wasting time." Then he agrees that they're "on the edge of a beautiful thing" and delivers on last coaxing line, "So come on, jump with me." This guy is not the perfect boy. This guy is a real bastard. At least, the "happy ever after" girl realizes this by the end of the song. Unfortunately, it isn't really clear if she fell for this guy's lines first, but we're left with a sense of hope that she'll someday find "the perfect boy".

I must mention that Robert Smith delivers a really great vocal performance on "The Perfect Boy" despite the heavy effects. He changes up his vocal rhythm throughout the song and doesn't rely on any of his patented coos and squeals. This combined with everything I've mention comes together to make a really fantastic song. Bravo!



The B-Side is a non-album track called "Without You". It is dominated by an acoustic guitar part that recalls some of the better parts of the Wild Mood Swings sessions. This is a step up from "Down Under", but definitely feels like B-Side material next to the other singles. A solid track but nothing outstanding.

9 out of 10

*"Out of This World" was the previous owner of that title and is a wonderful album opening track. "Maybe Someday" is excellent, but loses points for that organ solo. I really like "Cut Here" as a non-album single, but it always felt like it was missing something. "Before 3" has that clumsy bit of swearing. While beautiful, "Taking Off" is a poor man's "Just Like Heaven". I better stop before I find myself defending this statement against every Cure song released since 1998.

They Told Me I Would Live Forever

The Cure - Sleep When I'm Dead (Mix 13)/Down Under

"Sleep When I'm Dead" is the third of four singles to be released once a month before the new album by the Cure drops in September. It's the strongest of batch so far. "The Only One" was a sweet, pop song and "Freakshow" was a weird, fun number. "Sleep When I'm Dead" is more of a spooky rocker. I figured that each song would portray a different side to the "Cure sound", and I wasn't disappointed. Despite mixing up styles, all three songs (plus their respective B-Sides) hang together really well.

Simon Gallup's jagged, stuttering bass line is the major player in this arrangement. It gives "Sleep When I'm Dead" a dark, new wave fell with a lot of forward movement. Not that the other musicians are slouches. Jason Cooper remains solid on the drums, Robert Smith's vocal delivery is the best it has been in over a decade (the same can be said about all the recent singles), and Porl Thompson squeezes out more funky, wah-wah guitar goodness. This time he plays more of a rhythm part rather than riff it up like he did on "Freakshow", but it's still pretty fantastic playing.

One thing worth noting is the keyboards. This four piece version of the Cure does not have a dedicated keyboard player and are very guitar driven in a live setting. However, they are wise enough to realize when a good piano or synth line helps build up the layers and atmosphere on a song. As "Sleep..." climbs towards the end, the keyboards rise slightly in the mix; not enough to overpower, but enough for emotional intensity.



The B-Side, "Down Under" is the weakest song of the lot, so far. It's not a bad song at all, but it reminds me of the B-Sides that came out during the Wild Mood Swings period. Most of those songs all sounded alike and "Down Under" falls into the same category of being inoffensive dream pop, but nothing spectacular. When vocal effects are heavily used on a song, as they are on this one, it makes me think that something was missing.

7 out of 10