Overrated/Underrated: That song from ‘Russian Doll,’ and Post Malone’s music should speak for itself at the Grammys
UNDERRATED
Allison Miller’s ‘Glitter Wolf’: A rising star in jazz who can be found on multiple year-end best-of lists, in addition to occasionally occupying the rotating drum throne on “Late Night with Seth Meyers,” Miller continues to flex her compositional powers with her latest album. Featuring an all-star lineup of West Coast artists that includes pianist Myra Melford, clarinetist Ben Goldberg and Jenny Scheinman on violin, the album defies expectations with a mix of head-bobbing grooves and rich melodies. Try tracks such as “Malaga” or the album-opening “Congratulations and Condolences,” and see if the music doesn’t shine.
Harry Nilsson’s ‘Gotta Get Up’: Natasha Lyonne’s dark comedy “Russian Doll” is among the more addictive recent arrivals to Netflix with its barbed, New York City twist on “Groundhog Day.” And just as that film punched the reset button with the sound of Sonny and Cher’s “I Got You Babe,” this series begins each reboot with a few bars from this bouncy pop confection by Harry Nilsson. Taken from the revered singer-songwriter’s classic 1971 album “Nilsson Schmilsson,” which features enough indelible melodies to be bingeable in its own right, the song may not literally restart your life, but some mornings it can get pretty close.
OVERRATED
‘Cold War’ (2018): A leading contender in the Oscars’ foreign language category, this Polish import also earned nods for director Pawel Pawlikowski and cinematographer Lukasz Zal. But as beautiful as the film is to watch in sumptuous, high-contrast black and white, its actual story leaves a lot to be desired. Following the star-crossed relationship of a composer (Tomasz Kot) and his muse (Joanna Kulig) across post-war Poland and France, the movie coasts on its good looks and artful New Wave references to disguise a predictable story of tormented artists that for all its tragic turns still feels stubbornly distant.
Post Malone at the Grammys: Still struggling to reflect the best in today’s music while attracting TV viewers, the Grammys continue to needlessly combine names from the past with modern performers to, as the Recording Academy might put it, gin up a “Grammy Moment.” While the 2012 meeting between the Beach Boys, Foster the People and Maroon 5 won’t soon be forgotten (unfortunately), this compulsion manifests Sunday with a bro-funk summit between rapper Post Malone and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Magic may well result, but shouldn’t the Grammys honor the year’s best by letting that music stand — or fall — on its own?
Follow me over here @chrisbarton.
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