Here’s another quick, late post. I’m still settling back into doing this. My sleep schedule is just bonkers right now. I think I’m still adjusting to the new apartment. It’s a really lovely apartment, and I’m looking forward to when my silly brain, which is terrible at handling change, finishes adapting so that I can start really feeling at home in it. Anyway, I’ve got some quick reflections on the Wild Card series and a brief review of the new Tinashe album. Enjoy.
Baseball Corner
I watched some of the Wild Card round last week, enough that I can talk about it a little. I sorta missed the White Sox/Astros series, which is a bummer, since I like these White Sox. They won though, so that’s cool. I didn’t catch a whole lot of the Padres/Cubs series, but what I did see was fun. The Padres are such a cool team, and I’m a bit sad to be rooting against them in the NLDS, but, well, in a Dbacks-less NL the Brewers are my guys.
I caught a bit more of the Yankees/Red Sox series, and wow, what a snoozer! The Red Sox just kinda rolled over to expose their soft bellies. It was extremely disappointing, as a Yankees hater. At least Wilson Contreras homered. I like when he does that.
I, like everybody with a heart and brain, hoped that a Judgeless Yankees would be a flaccid Yankees. But Ben Rice has really proven otherwise. What a Wild Card Series he had. There were flashes of last year’s postseason Guerrero. Despite my Yankees haterdom, I can’t help but like Ben Rice. He did a Ben’s Rice sponsorship, and that is too funny for me to hate. And he looks sort of like Caillou, which makes it really funny that he’s among of the best hitters in Baseball. But regardless I hope the Rays continue to deny this Yankees offense like they did in game one of the ALDS.
The series I spent the most time on was the Braves/Phillies series. This was the dumbest one. The Phillies got stomped in game one and in most of game two, but back to back Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper homers got them a win that extended the series to a third game, in which they also got stomped. It was the only Wild Card Series to extend to a third game, and all it accomplished in doing so was further torturing the city of Philadelphia. I don’t know what to hope for re:the Phillies going forward. Mostly I would just like to not have to look at Brandon Marsh anymore.
What Have I Been Listening to?
"Popstar" by Tinashe is an extremely cool, exciting pop album that hearkens back to 00s dance music while also fitting in nicely with contemporary electro freaks like Charli XCX and Slayyyter. Songs like “Melatonin" feel like a more mature, perfected take on what acts like Usher and the Black Eyed Peas were doing twenty years ago, while other moments on the album, like its introduction or the airy, groovy “Flashbacks" feel truly fresh and experimental. It’s a wonderful mix of old and new, and all of it is carried by excellent vocal performances from Tinashe. She does it all: singing, rapping, funny voices, odd inflections, autocrooning. This is a great album. And “Nobody Wanna Dance Anymore" is one of the bangers of the year.
Rating: ☆☆