This is possibly one of the nicest things I've come across in a long time. If you're having a bad day or just like genuinely nice things visit the link below. It'll make things that little bit better :)
I think this is the most excited I've been about a blog post - or anything in general - for a long time. For any of you who know me, you'll already know that I am the biggestParamore fan. They can do no wrong as far as I'm concerned. I could endlessly list my reasons for why they are my favourite band but I'll resist.
Hayleys' vocals never fail to disappoint, there is something about her voice that captivates me and draws me in to every single song. This, combined with the emotion fueled, meaningful lyrics provides (in my opinion) an endless stream of incredible music. Their new video for 'Now' has been criticised by some fans on Youtube as not fitting to the song/lyrics. I disagree with this entirely, but I guess that everyone will draw their own meaning from their interpretation of the song. To me the lyrics are powerful and are about sensitive issues that everyone can relate to in one way or another. The beat and melody of the song fits my interpretation of the mood and subject matter perfectly, building in exactly the right places. I could go on about the song forever but what this post was actually intended for was the visual side of the video. The makeup in this video is very different to what we usually see on Hayley. Known for her bold eyebrows, bright eye shadows and more recently a touch of lip colour, this very neutral pallet is a harsh contrast. The blocked out eyebrows and white eyes/lashes initially stand out at the beginning of the video and if I'm honest, aren't the most flattering. However, as the video progresses we're introduced to explosions of colour (literally) and this is when the makeup starts to work its magic. The use of colour in the video is powerful and symbolic, this then contrasts greatly with neutral makeup causing Hayley to look vulnerable and very pure. This is most notable when Hayley is covered blue towards the end. This visual contrast between power and vulnerability is fitting to both the lyrics and the meaning and to me, provides a much more conceptual element to both the song and the video.
Long weekends away are not something I indulge in often but I allowed myself the luxury this past weekend. I'm not usually very lucky with when I have my holiday from work booked, it never coincides with anything interesting and it always seems like a bit of a wasted holiday. However, this was not the case last weekend when I realised my holiday was perfectly timed with my friends birthday weekend - it was therefore only natural to take a trip to Cornwall - Lostwithiel in particular - to see her.
This excited me for many reasons; 1. I haven't seen Lauren since Graduation week last November (when you spend 3 years with someone, a few months apart is a long time.) 2. If my childhood (especially summers) could be a place, it would be Cornwall. I have so many memories from holidays there as a child, there aren't many places I haven't been to. Being there puts me at ease instantly and is one of the only places that just by sight and smell alone can make me truly happy, so I was more than looking forward to being back there. 3. It provides me with the perfect opportunity to take some photos - weather permitting of course!
We took a trip in to Fowey on my last day there, Fowey is one of my favourite places in Cornwall. There isn't much to do there (and you need to be relatively fit to get up the hills), but it's so typical of a small Cornish town. It's picturesque, quaint and peaceful. The weather wasn't too bad on Monday so I took the opportunity to take some photos whilst I was there.
Fowey, landscape, ocean, photography, beach
Fowey, landscape, photography, cornwall
Fowey, quaint, photography, houses
The lighting isn't as good as I would have liked but hopefully you'll be able to get a feel of the kind of place Fowey is. On the drive home from Fowey, we stopped very briefly at Polkerris. It consists of cottages (which are beautiful), a beach and a pub/restaurant or two. It's very small but very beautiful. The rain had set in a little by this point but I couldn't not take some last quick photos before leaving to get the train home.
Before I get started; to any of you reading this who aren't familiar with the band Deaf Havana - go listen to them, now. It will be worth your time.
Deaf Havana - Fools and Worthless Liars
Okay, so there is a lot I want to cover in this post, from music and lyrics to themes and photography. I'll try my best not to ramble...
I'm not sure why it has taken me so long to post about this album, but better late than never!
There aren't many albums that I can honestly say have me gripped from start to finish. Usually there's that song that we'd happily skip or one that doesn't quite fit in with the rest, but Fools and Worthless Liars had me hooked from the beginning.
The album have a very nostalgic theme which comes across very strongly in both the song titles and lyrics, I often find with songs with strong lyrical themes, the music isn't quite as fitting as it potentially could be. However to me, everything about this album works, the melodies and moods of the songs, the pace changes and the emotion in the lyrics all draw you in, allowing you to feel the reminiscent lyrics. Deaf Havana - Hunstanton Pier
Deaf Havana - Youth in Retrospect
Aside from the music, one thing that can really make an album special to me is the album artwork in the lyric book. Imagery is so powerful and can help create or reinforce the mood of the whole album. I am often met with disappointment however, when the artwork is somewhat disconnected from the music.
The nostalgic theme that is explored within this album tells personal and emotional stories within every lyric, the visual potential of such a strong theme left me eagerly anticipating the artwork and I wasn't disappointed.
Nostalgic photography, when done well is very powerful - it is however often overdone and becomes very generic. The idea of a nostalgic photograph has a very predetermined boundary, as it's usually fueled by memory and feeling it becomes easy to know what kind of images to expect. However this said, due to the memory aspect our views on this will differ considerably from person to person.
To me, the artwork for Fools and Worthless Liars finishes the album off beautifully and really brings together the themes, lyrics and moods explored throughout. The images are simple in way of setting, props and colour scheme, but are much more complex when it come to concept and mood. They're powerful and allow us as individuals to draw our own personal meaning from each image, to reflect on our own experiences behind the story being told.
