Overrated/Underrated: The sadness of a Johnny Depp theme park ride, and Slowdive makes a welcome comeback
UNDERRATED
Mark Bonnar on ‘Catastrophe’: Assuming you have access to Amazon Prime (or some dark portal connecting you with British TV), there are many strong reasons to dive into this comedy series, which was created by Sharon Horgan (“Divorce”) with comic Rob Delaney and which recently released its third season. Not to be overlooked is this character actor, who adds a dry, vaguely menacing edge to his portrayal of Rob’s friend Chris. With the air of a rogue spy armed with his vaping pen and a Scottish burr pitched to a gloomily barbed mumble, Bonnar is a consistently funny, standout presence on a show crowded with them.
The return of Slowdive: One of the quieter comebacks of the nostalgia-thirsty festival circuit of recent years, this English group offered more than a pleasant reminder of shoegaze’s past by releasing maybe its finest album yet last week. A mix of inward-looking dream pop and surging space rock led by vocalists Neil Halstead and Rachel Goswell, the self-titled record declares its intentions with its first two tracks, the shimmering “Slomo” and an overdriven surge to the heavens with “Star Roving” that cumulatively folds time to a point where the last 25 years never happened. Sometimes, reunions can transcend nostalgia.
OVERRATED
Johnny Depp’s ‘Pirates’ ride: Last week saw the sort of next-wave marketing magic Disney is engineered to create: The star of an aging franchise based on a theme park ride shows up to mug in-character on said theme park ride, resulting in a promotional blitz of viral videos on social media. While it’s a little sad watching the last remnants of Depp’s artistic credibility expire into a branding exercise that exploits a career built on a near-parody of eccentricities and accents, this sets an intriguing precedent. Will Disneyland become a sort of zoo exhibit for every star of its movies? John Boyega, your personal Star Tours begins now.
Interpol’s ‘Turn on the Bright Lights’: Crafted for a generation haunted by the same urban malaise, loneliness and existential dread that inspired Joy Division in the late ’70s but dimly processed through a stylishly pretentious tribute band, this 2002 album marked a breakthrough for these New Yorkers. They went on to create four progressively less interesting records. Interpol last week announced an L.A. show celebrating the album’s 15th anniversary, which is promising because it may mean we won’t hear from them for another five years.
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