It’s another bank holiday weekend and I work in retail so that means absolutely nothing to me. Still, it’s Sunday, and Sunday morning is when I look back on the week and try and appreciate the tasty tasty stuff that I have managed to consume, SO the question is, what have I been…
Listening to?
I’ve been trying my hardest to stay chill as all hell in this feisty heat and have had plenty of work going around. A Sunday night scotch is calling out to me, but we’re not quite there yet, in the meantime, the tunes have been helping.
I’ve been very into the latest Men I Trust track, Norton Commander (All We Need). It’s got a super slow, head nodder of a bassline and a couple groovy little riffs which meander over the top. Which, honestly, describes a whole lot of Men I Trust tracks, this just happens to be the goddamn chillest, most nocturnal and laid-back of them all. I love it.
Elsewhere Hayden Thorpe, once member of one of my favourite bands – Wild Beasts – is back with a new album, Diviner. His teaser singles got me in the groove, and I think Thorpe really sticks the landing on this one, focusing on minimalist electro-ballads which allow his stirring falsetto voice and striking penmanship to shine through.
And then, when I’m done keeping it mellow, Rammstein have a new album out and well…
It’s meant to be played loud.
Reading?
It’s all GoT around this way. I’m plodding my way through the first meaty novel, in absolutely no rush whatsoever. Having watched the show before I began allows some insight into the fates of some of these characters, which makes their poor decisions even more painful to re-experience. Catelyn revealing herself and her intentions in front of the various banners of the Riverlands in order to arrest Tyrion is a particularly hard moment – it seems like such a win! But there are details there, the Frey men who hang back and stay silent, the general apathy of the crowd, which tells you that actually Catelyn may have played her hand far too early. Still, a lot of reading ahead of me.
Watching?
It’s done. Game of Thrones is over. What now? Apparently, we argue, complain, and bicker. But it’s done, and we all need to move on. I’ve decided to try and make better use of my Amazon Prime account and have dived into American Gods. I have read Neil Gaiman’s source novel, but I never imagined it to be as bloody, weird, or…penisey as the show is. Still, I’m enjoying it for what it is and will forever be grateful to any big-budget TV show willing to be a little wilder in it’s storytelling than is expected. Fargo does something similar. With so many hours to tell a story the opportunity to be a little more impressionistic, surreal, artistic, often goes amiss. Not here. American Gods is willing to veer off into the little sideshow vignettes that Gaiman wove into the novel, telling each one with a unique sense of style and never in a particular rush to get back to the meat and potato central narrative.
Also, John Wick 3. It’s very good, ramping things as expected and absolutely nailing the balletic action scenes. Perhaps fluffs the landing a little, as towards the end of the film it sets to ensuring the audience is prepared for another movie which, before I even sat down to watch 3, was already announced. Strange, but I can’t say I won’t be ready for another go in a couple of years time.
Playing?
More Fallout 4, of course.
But also Steamworld: Heist. This game has been on my watch list on my Nintendo Switch for a fair old while, and since it was reduced very heavily recently, I decided to pick it up. It’s a lot of fun. I love the art, the pace of the basic but intriguing plot and world-building, and the central turn-based sharpshooting and looting action. I think it’s likely I’ll dedicate a rather more substantial piece of writing to the game, and also the other two games I picked up in the generous Switch sale, in the very near future.
Running?
I have been struggling for time a little this weekend but last Sunday I did indeed smash the 45 minute mark for my 10k, setting a handy little benchmark for the rest of the year. Next target: sub 20 5k…
And that’s that for this week. Where do they keep going? I’m off to grumpily go to work despite the fact I wouldn’t have made any plans anyway and so I might as well make some goddamn money…
run into words 