The ethics surrounding war are complicated. In just the past

The ethics surrounding war are complicated. In just the past few weeks, public debates on the ethics of war have erupted on Twitter surrounding the legacies of former presidents. How do we justify murdering people, strangers in foreign countries? How do soldiers decide who needs to die? What is too far?

“The Kill Team,” based on the 2013 documentary of the same name,  tells the true story of soldiers going too far. It tells the story of Andrew Briggman, a young soldier in Afghanistan, who discovers that the other soldiers in his unit are killing innocent civilians under the direction of their new leader Sergeant Gibbs. The film depicts the incidents known to the as the Maywand District Murders that took place from June 2009 to June 2010. The case spurred many headlines and raised a lot of questions about the American military’s investigation of suspicious killings.

The film paints a harsh image of the U.S. military by emphasizing the gritty masculinity and the callousness of the soldiers. It tries to portray the warped mentality of these individuals as they take on these unjust killings as their mission. It also depicts the violent cult mentality that ultimately dooms the unit.

In the dramatization, Andrew Briggman is a fictionalized version of his real-life counterpart Adam Winfield and is portrayed by Nat Wolff (“Paper Towns,” “Death Note”). Wolff gives an emotional performance, embodying the complex journey Briggman goes through as he is faced with a dire ultimatum. As his character states in the film: “do I do the right thing and put myself in danger or do I just shut up and deal with it?”

Wolff mostly plays off of Alexander Skarsgard, who plays the dramatized version of Calvin Gibbs – Staff Sergeant Deeks. Skarsgard gives a dark performance here, amplifying the sadistic elements of this character. He is a tenacious and cruel leader, pitting his soldiers against each other to assert his dominance. It is a disturbing and captivating performance to watch.

The film was written and directed by Dan Krauss, who also directed the 2013 documentary. Krauss has largely worked within the documentary space, earning him multiple Academy Award nominations and Emmy Awards.

“The Kill Team” is his feature film debut, and his newcomer status is noticeable in the end result. The complex emotional nature of the story is laced throughout the film but is never given the proper time to sink in with the audience. You never really get a full sense of the emotional weight Briggman is carrying knowing his unit’s wrong-doings and feeling threatened to not speak out. The writing has wonderful passages, but the film constantly pulls you out of the moment. The scenes are clipped and stitched together, not giving the actors or the audience enough time to really explore the implications of every action. In fact, with a run time of just 80 minutes, the entire film is a bit rushed – especially the climax.

What the film does best is give the audience a glimpse of the more toxic and sinister aspects of the military, such as celebrations after killing civilians and the dangerous stunts disguised as exercises in trust. It is an alarming look at the mentality we are forcing people into in the name of patriotism.

Though “The Kill Team” lacks a certain amount of film mastery, it is still a visceral drama depicting a complex true story. It will leave you wondering what you would do in Briggman’s shoes and questioning military culture in the modern era.

Emo girl pop has become something of a hot commodity in the past five years. Mega-stars like Dua Lipa and Billie Eilish have ratcheted up the craft of the genre, and added an edge that gave it the sauce it needed to dominate pop radio. But in its rise, it lost a bit of its heart.

Emo girl pop was always first about the emotions. Lipa kept the emotions but glossed them out in dance beats. Eilish also kept them close but powers over them with her natural bravado. Both are without a doubt still wonderful, but it begs the question — where’s the music for the emo wall flowers?

May I offer an answer to my own question in the form of one singer/songwriter: Maisie Peters. Peters is just 19 years old, but has been writing songs since she was 12. Hailing from Brighton, England, she started posting songs on YouTube when she was 15. Three years later, she was signed to Atlantic Records and released her first EP “Dressed Too Nice For A Jacket.”

“Dressed Too Nice For A Jacket” introduced Peters as the more subtle side of emo girl pop. The EP took a step back from where pop was in 2018, and went for a simpler, classic singer/songwriter production. Softer, and focused on acoustic palettes, the songs feel a bit more timeless.

The EP was well-received, landing her two placements in the latest season of Love Island, known for their amazing music syncs. She followed up the EP with two singles; one of them, “Favourite Ex,” is truly one of the best break up tracks released this year.

Now, she has returned with an EP comprising of all new tracks. The project, “It’s Your Bed Babe, It’s Your Funeral,” is a step forward for Peters, as she experiments with more modern pop production elements.

The lead single “This Is On You” is as gentle a f–k you to offer to an ex-partner. The lyrics tell the story of a lover leaving her after she stood up for them time after time and when no one else supported them. The chorus lyrics, “It’s your bed babe / It’s your funeral,” serve as EP’s namesake. The production is centered around piano, but the track is driven by more modern drum samples.

The most radio ready track is “Adore You.” It’s a bright dance track that has an undeniable groove. It is an explosion of tender joy and butterflies. The post-chorus hook is a classic case of repetition, but it is super catchy. You’ll be singing along by the second time it comes around.

“Take Care of Yourself” is a beautiful song about self-care. It’s for all the people out there who tend to put others’ needs before their own. It’s a gentle reminder that we all need to be a little selfish sometimes.

“April Showers” is a clever lyrical flip on the springtime adage. Here, April is a girl’s name and she is quite literally taking a shower. It’s a bubbly track, but the lyrics are actually a bit devastating.

“As the water falls / I bet it’s gonna wash out every thought you ever had of me,” Peters lilts in the chorus. This song has the most interesting production, deftly playing with synths, vocoders and beat drops.

The final two tracks on the EP are those of aching and longing. “Look At Me Now” longs for an ex to return so she can feel whole again. “Personal Best” reminisces a time that has gone by. “Personal Best” is a track that Peters wrote with her sister in mind, and has a deep nostalgia embedded within it. Though it’s full of specific memories from her own life, the emotion it evokes is universal.

“It’s Your Bed Babe, It’s Your Funeral” is a wonderful collection of pop songs that will actually make you feel something. If you’re looking for a good cry, or just want to be in your feels for a little bit, try out these tracks from Maisie Peters.

Finneas O’Connell is quite young to have already spent nine weeks at the summit of Billboard’s Hot 100 Songwriters and Hot 100 Producers charts. At just 22 years old, he has accomplished this, won a ASCAP Vanguard Award and undeniably changed the direction of pop music in 2019.

He is best known as Billie Eilish’s partner in crime. As her older brother, he was the co-writer and producer on her debut album, “When We All Fall Asleep Where Do We Go?”

But Finneas has a music career of his own. He’s released a steady stream of singles under his first name since 2018. He also frequently performs as one of Eilish’s opening acts.

Finneas released his debut EP “Blood Harmony” Oct. 4. The project is a stunning assertion of his own abilities ⁠— all seven tracks are written and produced by Finneas ⁠— and an honest evaluation of his life on the road for the past 18 months.

“At the beginning of 2019 I decided I wanted to make a collection of songs that encapsulated exactly what my life had felt like for the last 18 months … Almost every song was written and recorded in a hotel room, or a tour bus, or on an airplane, or in a dressing room while I was on tour with my sister. We’d walk off stage and I’d run straight into my dressing room and throw my headphones on and get back to work,” Finneas said in a press release about the project.

“Blood Harmony” is a mix of new and old songs. The oldest song on the project is a fan favorite, “Let’s Fall in Love for the Night.” Released last October, it is the standout among his early singles. It has effective lyrical story-telling and great melodies. It is a perfect combination of pop and singer-songwriter sensibilities. It also established his style as markedly different from his sister’s. While she pulled from dark moods and electronic synths, his music focused on brighter palettes and acoustic guitar.

“I Lost a Friend” opens “Blood Harmony.” The lyrics tell the relatable story of losing someone and trying to figure out what is to blame for the relationship falling apart. Finneas’ vocals carry the emotional weight of the lyrics and really give this song the extra edge. This slower ballad is immediately contrasted with the track “Shelter,” which is a riotous anthem reminiscent of early OneRepublic and Avicii tracks. It’s the most upbeat song on the project for sure.

“I Don’t Miss You At All” is one of the strongest tracks on the EP, both in terms of lyrics and production. The lyrics are carefully constructed lies that flip to reveal the truth. They are so detailed that it feels like it has to have been a lived experience, but Finneas has revealed that it is in fact completely made up. This display of imagination is a strength that both him and Billie share and is part of what makes their music so innovative. The production matches this creativity, transforming throughout the track, constantly adding new layers and refusing to be stagnant.

All of the tracks on “Blood Harmony” demonstrate how talented Finneas truly is. As a young voice in the industry, it will be interesting to see how his influence starts to permeate into other artists’ work. He has begun to co-write and produce for other artists, including Ashe, Rosalia and Camila Cabello. This is just the beginning for Finneas, and he’s already light years ahead of most.

Ten years after the release of her last album, Mandy Moore re

Ten years after the release of her last album, Mandy Moore released a new single titled “When I Wasn’t Watching.” It was a long discussed return to music, which many thought would never come to fruition.

Though most think of Moore as an actress first, she actually entered public consciousness through music. Before taking on any of her now iconic film performances, she was signed to Epic Records and released her debut single, “Candy,” at just 15 years old. It was a bubble-gum pop track appropriate for someone her age.

As she grew older, Moore’s musical style shifted. She drifted from overt pop tunes, settling into the adult contemporary space and taking on more rock influences. At the same time, her star profile grew with outstanding film and TV roles, most notably her performance in the 2002 romantic drama, “A Walk to Remember.”

But after releasing her sixth album, “Amanda Leigh,” Moore went silent on the music front. She released songs through soundtracks, such as for the Disney animated movie “Tangled” in which she voiced Rapunzel, and she sings pretty regularly on the hit NBC drama “This Is Us.” But despite repeatedly mentioning working on music in interviews, nothing seemed to materialize.

Earlier this year, fans got a reason why. As reported in a New York Times piece, Moore parted ways with her manager around the same time that she married rock musician Ryan Adams. She became a victim of his toxic behaviors towards female musicians, and her music career stalled, totally lost under Adams’ control.

In addition to not producing her music, Adams ate away at Moore’s confidence. She told the New York Times, “He would always tell me, ‘You’re not a real musician, because you don’t play an instrument.’” Adams continues to deny her characterization of their marriage and other women’s claims of his inappropriate behavior. Adams and Moore divorced in 2016.

These lost years are a pivotal time in a musician’s life. While many teen artists find huge success, it is the ability to transition in their mid-twenties that solidifies their career and fan-base. Moore lost that crucial period and is now looking to rebuild.

The new single “When I Wasn’t Watching,” is a great way to catch up her fans. It captures exactly where she is now, a decade after her last album and two decades after she entered the music industry.

The song is a ’70s California nostalgia trip, perfectly capturing a refined essence of that classic rock period. It feels reflective, yet authoritative. It is breathy but assured. It is a delightful combination of pop and soft rock, a down tempo Haim deep cut.

The song discusses how in turbulent periods of our lives, we can change rapidly. We can become someone unrecognizable to even ourselves and find ourselves in places we never expected. When things slow down again, we can take a step back, look around and ask, “How have my experiences guided me to here?”

This song is only the beginning of Moore’s return to music. She has been working with her new husband Taylor Goldsmith, the lead singer of Dawes, and Grammy-nominated music producer Mike Viola to create a new ’70s inspired album. Moore has said that the new music is very personal and live-sounding. There is no official release date or title for the album yet.

Well my fellow goblins and ghouls, spooky season is upon us.

Well, my fellow goblins and ghouls, spooky season is upon us. The season of ghosts and jack-o’-lanterns is always a crowd favorite but doesn’t get the same treatment as Christmas when it comes to music. It is basically impossible to escape Christmas tunes once December hits. Halloween has a few classics that have grown tied to the holiday, but spooky compilations are mostly wordless, atmospheric music.

Kim Petras has launched a one-woman campaign to change that. The German pop singer cannot be stopped from releasing music. And honestly, why would we want her to? Last year, she dropped “TURN OFF THE LIGHT, Vol. 1,” an eight track EP inspired by the Halloween season that turned the graveyard into the dance floor.

Now, just months after releasing her debut album, “Clarity,” and completing her first headlining tour, she adds nine sinister new tracks to make a full Halloween album. It builds perfectly on the EP and continues to grow the creepy pop world she has imagined.

“TURN OFF THE LIGHT” is the perfect album to get you into the spooky mindset. It’s full of tense chords and eerie synths. It is a Halloween project that takes you from the streets to the club and back to the bedroom of a haunted mansion.

The album drifts more into the dream pop realm than Petras’ other music. It is club-ready music for sure, focusing more on the Halloween vibe than lyricism. There are samples of knives sharpening, screams, crashes and chilling distorted voice overs. The tracks blend perfectly from one to the next. Many of them are instrumental interludes meant to keep you locked into this scary soundscape, dragging you in deeper.

The production is led with brooding bass synths that mix with 808s to make intoxicating, dark dance tracks. Petras really knows how to create an anthemic hook, and “TURN OFF THE LIGHT” is full of them.

Out of the new tracks, “Wrong Turn” and “Massacre” are the highlights. “Wrong Turn” mimics the moment in a horror movie when the character is stuck on the side of a dirt road and all they can hear are the branches cracking in the woods coming closer and closer. Petras and her co-writers construct the narrative in the second person to  put the listener in the song.

“Massacre” is a down-tempo track that shows off Petras’ vocals. Interestingly enough, it interpolates the melody of classic Christmas track “Carol of the Bells.” But the words here paint a very different picture: “Blood on the floor / Glamour and gold stain on the glass / Make this the last night that you’re here / Bites on your neck.” It’s a spine-chilling track.

“Death by Sex” is a cheeky track that is probably the easiest to get away with playing year round. “There Will Be Blood” sounds the most like a regular Kim Petras song, but the lyrical content is much more chilling than “I Don’t Want It At All” or “Heart to Break.”

“TURN OFF THE LIGHT” is the perfect album to soundtrack your spooky season. It’s pop perfection with specific intentions. So throw on that school girl outfit and get down to some scary beats before Jason arrives.

Sam Fender’s album arrives at a time when his music style has

Sam Fender’s album arrives at a time when his music style has lost the focus of our culture. Over the past few years, rap and hip-hop have slowly overtaken rock as the dominant genre, especially amongst young people. So it seems odd that a debut rock artist is coming to us with the backing of a major label. It’s even more suprising that he is managing to make an impact.

Before his debut album was even released, he was winning awards across the pond. He was on BBC’s prestigious Sound of 2018 list and won the Critics Choice Award at this years Brits. Here in the states, he has been named both a Vevo DSCVR  and Lift Artist and an MTV Push One to Watch.

These were based on his six-track 2018 EP, “Dead Boys.” These songs established him as a raw and critical songwriter focused on telling stories. He doesn’t merely write songs to talk about himself, in the tradition of singer-songwriters who came before him, like Tom Petty and Bruce Springsteen, instead he uses his stories to critique and draw attention to flaws within our society. And at a time when the world is more connected than ever, these songs can speak to the whole world.

Fender is like a second coming of Springsteen in many ways. Sonically, The Boss’s influence can be heavily felt on tracks like “Hypersonic Missiles” and “The Borders.” Lyrically, the songs speak from a similar position as Springsteen did. A small town boy becoming a man looking at the world around him. They are well constructed stories. They come from the viewpoint of the songwriter himself, and the people that surround him. And just like Springsteen, Fender penned each track on his own, a rarity in 2019.

The album is a strong debut for Fender. He proves the potential the industry lauded upon him. And he doesn’t aim for the easy hits. He sticks to his instincts, constructing songs about topics many would avoid in this day and age. Take the track “White Privilege,” it’s a bold risk that manages to pay off. It could have easily been a track that found him in the midst of a #SamFenderIsCancelledParty. But, instead he crafted a good song about a difficult subject.

Privilege is just one on a laundry list of hot button issues covered on the album. “Hypersonic Missiles” takes on the military-industrial complex. “Two People” is about domestic abuse. “Dead Boys” highlights male suicide and mental health. Other songs discuss subjects like toxic masculinity, domestic abuse, class, urbanization and more.

While all these issues could easily bog down the music, the album is anthemic and riotous. Produced by his friend Bramwell Bronte, the songs recall notes of the classics but remain distinct in a way Harry Styles failed to on his debut. Fender has earmarked the things he has heard and liked, but his own songwriting is driven and confident enough not to get lost in them.

Fender’s voice is also a remarkable asset to him. It slides smoothly above these instrumentals, both softly and belting.

The songs are best, when they focus on specifics. Tracks like “Play God,” “Will We Talk?” and “The Borders,” stand out because of the focused detail in the verses that feel relatable, honest and tangible. Tracks like “White Privilege” and “Call Me Lover” feel weaker comparatively because their focus is too large or vague.

“Hypersonic Missiles” is a unique album for this time in music. It presents an update to a classic genre, penning in new issues and concerns for us to connect with. Like the songs that came before it, while it is specific, it maintains a sense of timelessness. It isn’t perfect, but it is bold and impressive. Fender is sure to be around for a while.

Charli XCX has been dancing around the pop music amphitheater for years now. She’s had her own hits with songs like “The Fault in Our Stars,” “Boom Clap,” and took over the airwaves with collaborations with Iggy Azalea and Icona Pop. She has co-written hits that went to the likes of Selena Gomez, Gwen Stefani and Camila Cabello. These were all pure pop songs that felt like lab tested ear worms specifically designed to burrow into your subconscious. They were not typical, but meant to trigger the same cues as cookie-cutter pop tracks.

Charli XCX’s own albums were less pure pop. Her debut, “True Romance,” and the subsequent, “Sucker,” portrayed her as a punk outsider. She knew her way around a hook, but she wasn’t here to fit into a pretty pop diva mold.

She was pushed to be even more non-traditional after label difficulties led to a delay in her third album being released. She decided to release a mixtape, a pretty much unheard of format in the pop music space at the time. “Number 1 Angel” was an experiment, not just in format, but also in its contents. Similar to its follow up, “Pop 2,” the mixtape explored the intersection of pop and PC music, an emerging record label, genre and subculture, which has grown to occupy its own space in the past few years.

These mixtapes were a way for Charli XCX to take the pressure from the label off herself. It allowed her to follow her instinct and release music when she made it and when she wanted to without all the planning that comes from a full album release. Through these avant-garde pop experiments, she gained a strong fan base and worked her way back towards making an album.

That album comes in the form of “Charli,” and was released by Atlantic Records. The body of work serves as her third album, but feels like a bit of a reset button. It is a more formal and official release of her experimentation across the two mixtapes. It is a recognition that albums in the streaming age are very different than when she began her career, and now align much more with her vision.

Industry buzz over the past three years has been about the “waterfall” release or the “serialized” release strategy. The concept is that an artist or band will release a single, then another single a couple months later, then another. This cycle ends with them releasing a full album or EP consisting of those singles. It helps keep buzz building.

Charli XCX was a creature of the internet. She was discovered at 13-years-old on MySpace. She didn’t need a label executive to explain this concept to her, it was what her gut told her to do. It was how she knew people were consuming her music.

“Charli” was released over the span of a year. It started in October 2018 with the release of her collaboration with Troye Sivan, “1999,” and continued into 2019 with the release of “Blame It on Your Love.” The album was officially announced this June, and followed by five more promotional singles before its September release.

The final product is a slightly more pop-leaning version of “Pop 2.” The project was helmed by Charli XCX and her frequent collaborator A.G. Cook, the head of PC Music. It also features many returning feature artists, such as Kim Petras, Pabllo Vittar, Brooke Candy and Tommy Cash.

At its poppiest moments like “1999,” “Official” and “Blame It On Your Love,” “Charli” is thoroughly infectious. On the more experimental side are tracks like “Click” and “2099.” Charli pushes production boundaries, but maintains the pop hook mentality.

In total, there are 14 featured artists. This is a large number, but Charli XCX never gets lost amongst her collaborators. She manages to firmly establish her own voice in each track, and manages to keep her vision at the forefront of the project. In actuality, she excels when she is collaborating with another artist. The strongest tracks on the album are the perfectly orchestrated collaborations like “2099” and “Gone.”

“Gone,” featuring Christine and The Queens, is arguably one of the best pop songs released this year. It is a euphoric track about partying and insecurity, a dichotomy which is the centerpiece of the album.  The driving bass line is the beginning of the pristine production on this track, that reaches a peak in the outro, as manipulated vocals are finagled into an EDM breakdown. While by no means a new technique or the only occasion it occurs on this album, it is done here in a way that feels like the logical release needed for the lyrical content and pushes the song structure outside of the verse-chorus-verse cliche.

While this is the standout track, the duration of the album contains interesting production and songwriting. It pushes the barriers between pop and electronic music, and encourages us to expand the horizons of pop music. And it does all of this while being super fun.

From the very start, Charli XCX has claimed to be a cultivator of the future of pop. This album certifies that.

The world of dark emo electro-pop has found its way into the mainstream within the past couple of years. The likes of The Weeknd and Billie Eilish have pushed it to be programmed in multiple radio formats, along with the top of streaming charts. The artists in this space have repeatedly toyed with the concept of genre and blended many different influences.

One of the genre’s pioneers, Banks, has returned with an album that both boldly declares her identity and pushes further on the boundaries of genre.

The California native, nee Jillian Banks, released her debut album “Goddess” in 2014 through Harvest Records. Since then, her tracks have been placed in multiple TV shows (“Grey’s Anatomy,” “Girls,” “Power”), and she has toured sold-out shows around the world.

The new album, entitled “III,” finds Banks pulling new tricks out of her hat and improving upon some fan favorites.

The opening track, “Till Now,” starts with one of Banks’ signature chants. The song unfolds around this chant, processing it through more and more filters and harmonies. It creates the bed of the song for the first minute and a half before the rest of the synths and percussion breaks in. The song is a raw proclamation: the bulls–t ends now. Banks’ vocals build from a head voice whisper to a guttural yell as the track closes. It’s a powerful way to open the album.

“III” was lead by two distinct singles, “Gimme” and “Look What You’re Doing to Me.” Each song could lead you to believe that Banks was taking this album in a different direction than her past work. “Gimme” is probably one of the strongest songs to be released this year. It has a vision, and that vision runs through every part of the song. It’s an empowerment bop that presents Banks as more sure of herself than she was on any of her previous tracks.

“Look What You’re Doing to Me” is a very very different song. It has chaotic production meant to capture the frazzled feeling of being smitten with someone. While this is not necessarily new territory for Banks, there is a sense of optimism in this song that is fresh for her. Notably it is also the first collaboration on any of her albums (though not her first collaboration overall — see her work with 6lack and the amazing track “Wolfpack” with Tala).

“Hawaiian Mazes” and “Sawzall” reveal a similar sense of optimism. These tracks feel like new a whole new dimension of Banks’ music and perhaps her own character. In the music, there is a deeper sense of innocence and forgiveness. It’s like she has found room for the shades of gray between the black and white judgement in her previous albums.

On her sophomore album “The Altar,” Banks introduced her take on rap with the seething takedown “Trainwreck.” On “III,” she decides to go for it full send and spits bars on two later tracks, “Alaska” and “The Fall.” While it could come off as catering to the mainstream, Banks keeps her raps decidedly off-kilter, syncopated and weird. The raps hit their mark even when you are expecting them to run off the rails. These are two standout tracks on the project for sure.

While much of the album is exploring new elements, there are some more traditional Banks tracks as well. “Contaminated” and “Stroke” are quintessential Banks songs sure to be warmly welcomed by day one fans. Similarly, “Godless” and “Propaganda” feel solidly within the space Banks has created for herself over the course of her career. But on these two tracks, her voice sits higher in the mix, and her delivery is more forward than usual. It puts an extra oomph in these songs and makes the desperation in the lyrics rip through, giving the songs an added sense of exposure.

“III” closes with two ballads that really showcase Banks lyrical wit and vulnerability. The songs are so specific and prescriptive with their words but still remain applicable and relatable to the thousands of listeners beyond her.

One of her strengths is her abstract metaphorical lyricism. Maybe abstract isn’t even the right word to describe it — perhaps a word like innovative or unconventional better describes it. Still, when she sings a phrase like “If we were made of water / maybe we could swim around it,” you may not know exactly what she means, but you know exactly how it feels.

Though these songs focus on the vulnerable writing, they still have distinct sonic production. “If We Were Made of Water” samples rainfall and bird calls taking the song to a dream pop realm. The tender closer, “What About Love,” goes a more cinematic route building on strings and spoken samples.

“III” is an amazing album and step forward for an artist truly operating within her own space in music. It is her most declarative work yet, and it covers a breadth of themes, soundscapes and emotions. Give it, give it what it wants, what it deserves: a listen.