Each week, Daily Arts writers evaluate the latest movies, shows, books, music, games and more. They watch, read and listen for the next standout artistic trends and then write about what that means for us in the art world and beyond. Come Friday, we highlight what Daily Arts loved most — here’s what will keep you captivated this weekend.
— Zoe Phillips and Elise Godfryd, Managing Arts Editors
Read: “Cormorant Lake” by Faith Merino
“Yet, atypical of many nature-fiction novels, the natural world is portrayed as more than just background for the plot. Inhabitants of Cormorant Lake live on an active volcano, but are more worried about the landslides that routinely bury parts of their town. The earth is an instigator, as much a part of the novel as Evelyn or Nan, constantly shifting and threatening to spill over.”
Read more from Trina Pal here.
Watch: “Buried by the Bernards”
“Although one might expect the show to feel more somber, there’s no reason it should. Those who work in the funeral industry are doing a tremendous service for society. They are human beings just like anyone else, and they deserve to be happy — not just when they’re away from work, but all the time.”
Read more from Aidan Harris here.
Listen to: The Weather Station’s Ignorance
“Sonically, Lindeman’s album has a dream-like, stream-of-consciousness feel. Much like Destroyer’s 2010s output or albums like Montreal’s Paralytic Stalks or Julia Holter’s Have You in My Wilderness, Ignorance is lush with distant strings and continuous percussion to convey Lindeman’s messaging and musings in an incredibly digestible way. Her lyrics are direct and lock together seamlessly with her hooks and choruses.”
Read more from Vivian Istomin here.
Watch: “Black Art: In the Absence of Light”
The discourse of “Black Art: In the Absence of Light” centers around institutions and their role in providing a sense of belonging. Museums, through their collection and exhibition practices, play a crucial part in the representation of the Black community, whose talent has long been ignored by mainstream American society. Art historian Maurice Berger, who gives his insight on the role of institutions throughout the film, exposes a clear problem of museum curation when he states that 85% of artists in the collections of American museums are white and that only a shocking 1.2% are Black.
Read more from Cece Duran here.
Listen to: Madlib’s Sound Ancestor
“Sound Ancestors is never static, consistently inconsistent you might say, but that’s not a bad thing. The listener drifts from gospel to reggae to classic hip hop, a fascinating walk through the rich sonic heritage of Black music.”
Read more from Nora Lewis here.