New Music 07/2022 – Dry Cleaning, Brandi Carlile, Tori Amos
Tag: review
Wiry and playful post-punk; classic songwriting and a great voice; a sparkling return to form, fifteen years in the making.
Dumb Witness by Agatha Christie – Book Review
I’m always delighted to come across a Christie mystery I’ve never read before. This Poirot and Hastings adventure, dedicated to Dame Agatha’s beloved dog Peter, is held back from the true vintage status by some glaring plot weaknesses, but still had enough ingenuity and light humour to keep me happy from page to page.
Beware of Pity by Stefan Zweig – Book Review
An emotional rollercoaster of a novel about the catastrophic consequences of well-intended pity, this was a somewhat exhausting read but a rich and gripping one too.
Zulya Kamalova @ Primrose Potter Salon (07/2022)
I enjoyed an intimate and nostalgic evening dedicated to Cruel Romance, the Russian ballad-style songs about the darker and sadder side of life.
MSO: Beethoven Symphony No. 9 @ Hamer Hall (07/2022)
Good things come to those who wait! I got tickets for this Melbourne Symphony Orchestra concert all the way back in October last year, and experiencing Beethoven’s epic final symphony live was truly worth the wait.
Top Gun: Maverick – Film Review
Despite my usual cynicism about sequels and nostalgia, I thoroughly enjoyed this exhilarating and refreshingly old-fashioned blockbuster that improves on the original and, despite all odds, doesn’t feel like a shameless cash grab.
The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding by Agatha Christie – Book Review
A fun collection of crimes solved by the one and only Hercule Poirot, with a bonus Miss Marple short story. I was slightly disappointed that only one of the stories is actually set at Christmas.
Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami – Book Review
I meant to read Murakami for ages and ages, so I finally got started with this novel that propelled the Japanese writer into literary superstardom.
Lifeboat – Film Review
A lesser-known Hitchcock movie about survivors of a German U-boat attack during World War II, this tense survival thriller, set almost entirely aboard a tiny lifeboat, definitely deserves more love and attention.
MSO: The Music of John Williams @ Hamer Hall (06/2022)
