EP Review: “Deeper Things” by Paul Hernandez

Hello!

The day I published the review of PHAVORS debut EP, I also received a message on Twitter asking if I was open to review another artist’s recent release. Christian rapper Paul Hernandez told me about his brand new EP called “Deeper Things” which I thought was interesting, considering the time we’re living in now everybody is allowing themselves to feel deep feelings. I haven’t listened to anything yet, so I’m happy to finally start writing what I feel and think to each track.

We start with the title track “Deeper Things” and the first thing I thought of was this is a nice beat! Despite the fact that I don’t review a lot of rap music, I have been known to be very picky on the sound that echoes out of my speakers. I liked it for what it was, it had groove and a nice melody. Nice way to begin this journey! The second is “Mañana” which means “morning”. I really loved the light and slow introduction and it leads into a bop with a worship vibe going on. I feel like it would be a great motivational or workout song to pump you through your day. The one thing I wasn’t expecting was towards the end of it, the beat slows back down and you hear Paul singing and a noticeable guitar laced bridge. I think that was what made me enjoy it even more!

Our third song is “Little Bit” and again, we have a sweet beginning; the tempo stays the same throughout the whole thing. You can clearly hear Paul talking and in the choruses, I kept thinking I was hearing a feminine voice in the background. The one person he sounds like is Khalid, they have the same soulful tone that I love and the lyrics are really good too. It would be great for these new high school graduates, as they enter the world on their own. It’s one of those feel good songs at the end of summer! I think I might add it to my summer playlist in September too.

“Runaway” is next and this is another good end-of-the-summer tune. It’s nice and chill, and reminds me of late afternoons, which was so odd because I was doing this review at five o’clock on a Friday. There’s not many times were everything lines up right at the same time, so I knew it had to be fate! The last track “Till You Found Me” and it is a true Christian type of song but for those like me, the meaning isn’t too in your face. I enjoyed the electric guitar in the background when he was rapping, for a while it was just those two sounds coming through and then all of a sudden, there’s a damn trumpet! It totally threw me for a loop, but I thought it was an interesting addition. It was an awesome end.

I think my favorites were “Mañana” and “Little Bit,” mainly because they were both easy-going and made me think of positive things, not that the others don’t have that quality, I was just into them more for some reason. If you need a late summer addition to your music library, I definitely suggest you check out Paul’s stuff. It will bring a little sparkle to your day.

Have you heard of Paul Hernandez before this review? If this is your first time, what tracks were your favorites?

Blogmas | Christmas Tree Ornaments

Howdy!

Before I start on this, I am leaving my previous Blogmas post about my Christmas tree because if you haven’t read it yet or this is your first time on here, you can get caught up on why I have adopted a very interesting way to do my tree this year.

For today though, I am discussing my process of both the ornaments and the way I took the pictures, because that in itself was a big production that some people might find enjoyable! Fun fact: I am one of those people! 

  The Ornaments  

I feel the need to mention that the day I finished writing my previous post about my tree, my whole original theme of white lights, purple bulbs, and a star on top, kind of went out the window since my mom could not find anything to match that scheme. However, my dad did say something about going to Dollar General and getting things there. So, one morning I went on the DG website and looked over their very limited holiday decorations and found two that I actually loved, and they were: a pair of angel wings that came in two colors on the site, gold and red. I really fell in love with the red ones. The other one I just couldn’t get over was the crown. If you know me well, you know I need anything royalty and I thought for this reason would be no different!

Later that day, my mom went to the store and came home with an interesting sort of things for me. She got me a box of array silver ornaments. There are the normal shiny ones but my favorites are really the glittery and matte bulbs the most. Unfortunately, they didn’t have their hooks on them already so that was a bummer, but I managed to put two of them on the tree myself before letting mom take over! Now, you’re probably wondering about the two I found online. Did we have any luck in that department? Well, I’m happy to say, she found both of them! There was a setback though, she found the wings only in silver.

This wasn’t what freaked us out though. When I saw them online, they looked pretty smell, almost the same size of the other ones she got me. No… The wings and crown are huge! We couldn’t believe it! Honestly the crown is the perfect size but the wings just look obnoxious! This wasn’t the funny thing though, because both of my parents thought it would look great as the topper, but every time I look at it, I think it looks like a vagina! I literally thought of the episode of Everybody Loves Raymond, when Marie takes an art class and the sculpture she presents to her family, looks just like a vagina. The wings are basically in the same shape but with a bigger opening in the middle, so when my mom placed it at the top of my tree, it just looked very wrong. I mean, I’m all for my Christmas tree being non-traditional, but I have to draw the line somewhere!

I managed to talk my mom into putting the wings lower on the tree, but as much as I had my heart on a star on the top, I kind of thought the crown would look better there instead. It took some convincing on my part because my mom was very adamant about the vagina–I mean, the wings on top–but it does fit on there nicely. As far as decorations on my tree, this is about it. My mom did find me some lights too, but the cord was white and since the tree isn’t as full like others, it looked a bit chaotic but all is not lost, because my mom came up with another idea for them. I don’t even know what prompt this, but she just started wrapping them around my curtain rod on both sides and it actually looks amazing with my sunflower curtain! Thankfully, the lights don’t generate too much heat that I can actually leave them on all day and night. They make my room look really cozy!

  The Process Of The Pictures  

Now that we have that part out of the way, I can talk to you about how I managed to take the photos for this blog post. I will say, it was not easy, but honestly any post that requires a lot of pictures is usually pretty difficult anyways! Between the fact that I am always adjusting myself to get the ‘perfect’ shot and basically trying not to pop out of my wheelchair and land butt (or worse, back) first on the hardwood floor, isn’t the best thing in the world. Thankfully, I can say I did not hurt myself too awful that day – I did sleep like a baby that night so I took that as a good sign!

For the first round of photos, I used my Kodak digital camera I got last Christmas. I thought the pictures turned out really good the last time so I tried it out for this part, but since I was working with higher angles, I was having a lot of difficulty keeping the camera steady enough. I was able to get a few of the ornaments in their places, so that was nice, but for the rest I switched to my tablet.

Now, I will say that I would only use this as a last resort, because they weren’t in the best quality. I think the culprit for this was because it was too dark in my room. I have become dependent on the flash and since I didn’t have enough lighting, they might not look the greatest but I honestly loved how they turned out for some odd reason. Besides this, I used something else to help make everything easier for me. My nana and papaw had this foot stool that they inherited from the aunts, and I use this to prop up my tablet to color and read. However, I hadn’t thought about using it as a tripod until that day. It took me a good hour and a half to arrange it in certain ways to get the shots I wanted, because when it comes to blog photography, I am incredibly picky! We were successful though, or at least I’ll found out if any of you send me comments about them after reading this post.

The last thing I would like to do, is find this large bag of classic Christmas heirlooms my nana gave me a couple of years ago. I think they would look awesome surrounding the tree. It would complete the whole thing I think. If we find them, I’ll update you about it on Instagram and Facebook!

What was the meaning for your Christmas tree theme? Do you have any funny ornament stories you would like to share with me? For anybody with a disability, does it normally take you a while to get everything just right? What do you use to make things easier?

REVIEW: “Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina”

Howdy!

So, I took a big risk in the middle of December, I watched my second horror show on Netflix. Yes, second. The first was The Haunting Of Hill House back in September. I haven’t finished that yet and I have to say, that is a lot scarier compared the Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina but I’m willing to take the chance again!

I don’t know what really possessed me (no pun intended) to watch this, because I never watched the promos on YouTube beforehand because I figured it would be too much for me to take, but I was in the mood for something different and I just decided to check it out and by the end of the first episode, I knew I was hooked!

Backstory

We follow the half-human, half-witch Sabrina Spellman who splits her time between wanting to keep her mortal boyfriend Harvey Kinkle and her best friends Roz and Susie at Baxter High, and her family legacy of signing her name and life away becoming a full time witch and at the hands of the Dark Lord and no, we’re not talking about Voldemort, this is worse: the devil himself.  She’s divided between wanting to be there for her friends and living her life as a human but she’s been guided by her aunts: Zelda and Hilda, plus her cousin, whose on house arrest for trying to blow up the Vatican, Ambrose to fulfill her destiny of being a Spellman witch.

If you were a teen or young kid of the 90’s, the name Sabrina Spellman might be familiar to you. Melissa Joan Hart played the character on the show Sabrina The Teenage Witch – a lot of people have been very upset with the changes of this show to the remake. The biggest topic is the weirdest, the cat Salem. In this reboot, the black cat does not talk or we don’t hear him speak out loud to Sabrina like we did with the previous version. Honestly, I like Salem for what he is, he is Sabrina’s familiar or protector, so if he’s in animal form, he should be mute.

The other complaint I’ve seen a lot, especially after it was renewed for two more seasons, that a lot of people do not like the fact that it’s a lot darker than we remembered on the teen program. What really gets me is that, it’s a television show so it’s fictional but yet people are literally taking it so seriously, and that is just stupid! However, I feel like we rarely see the witches going bad. This is in a totally different direction, where they have Satan as the main “god” for these witches to worship. So, with that being said, it is going to be a little more out there because you’re talking about somebody that Christians are told to fear, and that is going to be a tad harder to overcome.

Overall

I just loved the show! I was thoroughly addicted to it for about a week. I would only watch during the day because I didn’t necessarily know what I would see on my screen in the dead of night. I’m pretty happy with that decision, especially seeing the sleep demon: Batibat. I was not ready for her, but then I actually kind of enjoyed her. My god, I’ve turned into my sister! Anyways, I think you should try it, you might like it too. Now all I have to do is wait until April for the next batch of 10 episodes to watch and I think I’m looking more forward to that than the final season of Game of Thrones! 

Have you watched Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina yet? What were thoughts about the differences between the older version to this reboot? 

Album Review: “Unleashed” by Skillet

This is happening!! A new album review thanks to YouTube! I honestly didn’t expect to be able to listen to Skillet’s new album Unleashed, I figured I’d have to wait until my own sister caved and purchased the album, but now at least neither one of us would have to wait!

I was going to do a song review of their first single, “Feel Invincible” back in June, but I had a lot on my plate and decided against it. Parts of me wished I had done it. It’s the first track off the album, and I am in love with it! The band is sort of known for their more symphonic rock sound, using a violin and cello in a good amount of their songs, but this one has more of an electronic vibe. It seems Korey has double duty again, as she plays rhythm guitar and keyboard. Despite having a slight electronica feel to it, it’s still very heavy! Great song to listen to as you work or get ready for the day!

I heard the second track a couple of weeks ago, maybe the actual day it was released! I was in between of deciding if I liked it or not. It’s called “Back From The Dead” and I have to say, I am still undecided. It’s good, it has some interesting parts to it. I like how John does the “ba-ba-ba-ba” saying in rhythm of the chorus. This one isn’t as heavy as I thought it would be, but still. Third song is  “Stars” and from the first time I saw the title I knew it would be slower… I’m not going to lie, I am a little hesitant when it comes to the band’s ballads. However, I knew if I wanted to complete this review I would have to listen to it. The track has an electronic introduction. This time you can clearly hear both John and Jen’s voices throughout the song. I do like the message and surprisingly the sound as it goes on the tempo increases. It’s pretty good too!

Next is what I like to call, “a Skillet song.” I know, that’s so clever Meghan! “I Want To Live” sounds like their older songs, like the ones we replay in our iPods and phones everytime we are in the car. It starts out with the nice and easy orchestra sound, Jen has more than just backing vocals on this track. I really love Jen’s soft but fierce voice on the band’s songs! Anyways, I sent this one to my sister and she seemed to like it a lot considering she liked and retweeted it on her Twitter account! Next up is “Undefeated” and oh my gosh! This one is powerful! It doesn’t sound like their others but it is heavy, which is a plus! After “Undefeated,” is a track called “Famous” and is it weird to say that John sounds like he is rapping in the beginning? This one is okay, but I don’t like it, at least not right now!

Now is time for “Lions”.  This has more of an airy, almost gives out a serene kind of feeling. In a way, it sounds like “Stars” and what’s weird is that it sort of sounds like it in parts too, mostly in the choruses and at the end of the verses, where Jen joins in with John. Other than that, the actual song is pretty good! The eighth track is called “Out Of Hell” and of course my brain went, please be heavy! With that kind of title, you’re hoping it is! Thankfully, this one is glorious! I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but this reminds me of a Five Finger Death Punch song! And I mean that in the nicest way possible! It still has the essence of Skillet, but it is extremely heavy and so good!

Next up is a song called “Burn It Down” and yes, I immediately thought of Linkin Park. Sorry, but it happens everytime I see these three words together! This is another heavy track, but there’s nothing about it that makes it special. It just sounds like a regular rock song. So that’s bit of a let down! This next one, I heard it and I kind of got happy. It’s “Waiting For Comets” and again, like “Stars” and “Lions” it has a calming vibe to it. It’s not at all heavy, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s not good. I can see this one becoming a favorite, as I am starting to like more and more tracks that are meaningful in both lyrics and sound. Perfect harmony.  After is a song called “Saviors Of The World,” and when I heard it and was completely caught off guard. It has a strong electronica beginning, but it almost has like a whimsical vibe too! It was strange, but in a good way! The only thing I really have a problem with is the fact it has so many elements to it, that while you listen to the choruses, you can barely hear what John is saying. I can only properly hear one line out of that section before that part goes blurry. Maybe it’s my ears who knows!

Last but not least, is “The Resistance” and again, I hoped for another heavy as I always love a banger to start the album and finish it out. And this did not disappoint. We even have John doing a little screaming and if I’m not mistaken, he hasn’t done that since “Monster” from Awake right?  This is another “Skillet” song, but as I’ve seen through listening to this album, maybe I don’t know what a “Skillet” song sounds like anymore? Is it the lyrics or the sounds that creates that label? I’ve always thought it was a mixture honestly.

So what do we think? Do you like Skillet’s new album? Yay or nay? Leave me some comments!

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Album Review: “Exhale” by Plumb

My plan was to do three album reviews from last month, but I was only happy with one album in May. I had high hopes for them all but I’ve gotten very picky with my music again. I’m very happy that back in 2012 I found Plumb and her then brand new album “Need You Now” because that was what I needed at the time. She recently released her album “Exhale” and this was different for me, genre wise because I don’t normally listen to worship music on a daily basis. It’s usually the other way around! Every once in a while though, everybody needs a good break for their normal routine.

I found out she was working on new music I think late 2013 when she posted a picture of her at the keyboard and she captioned it that she was writing a song about her daughter Clementine. That instantly brought out the aws and yays from me! When I looked at the track list on Facebook I was taken back about it being more about God and religion. I’m not afraid to listen to Christian music, I mean I’ll listen to Skillet, Flyleaf, and Fireflight all the time. I think with those bands, as much as their open about talking about God in their lyrics. Sometimes a person can listen to a song and not know what it’s about and you can intercept it in any way you want. I didn’t hear a lot of religious messages in her last album. It was more about finding the love again I think. This one has a different direction but it’s not so bad. I was still pretty pumped to listen to it and it still has a great sound and to me, that’s all that matters! Before I go on ahead with this review I think I should say that I do believe in God and I’m interested in different religions, but I don’t like to be preached about God and I think that’s why I’ve never liked worship/gospel music so much. I hope you understand. Now that I’ve said that we can go and start this!

The first song is the title track called “Exhale” and before she really announced she was releasing a new album, she kept posting pictures to promo this song and others and she kept hashtagging this word. I just thought she was using it like an affirmation! I’m slow at times if you didn’t know that by now! I really like this one. I really want to learn the words to this song really bad! The next is called, “Lord I’m Ready Now” and this was the song that kind of made me “worry” while I saw that track list for the first time. I like the message behind this song because we’ve all had times when we’re ready to give up and we tend to forget we have nobody on our side. We do have though, God is on our side! He’s always there for us when we need to talk to somebody or to be guided somewhere. I didn’t like “Smoke” as much as I do now. I don’t know why because I think the sound is just beautiful!

This was a word that she kept hashtaging on her Facebook, I saw a video for it which made me excited but I never got to watch it! I must’ve been very distracted that week! The song is called “Resurrection” and even though it has elements that I should like, it’s not one of my favorites at the moment. The fifth song is called “Great Is Our God” and this is another favorite of mine. When the album first came out, I only got to this song and stopped listening to it altogether. I think I might’ve been afraid to listen to them out loud without my headphones because I’ve been teased once while listening to Flyleaf and their religious based songs, so I’ve been known to wait to listen to these types of songs at night. However, if I’m at my lowest sometimes these types of songs make me cry (in a good way) and I generally feel better afterwards. Okay, next song is “True Love” and I like the little playful beat and the opening of using a fairy tale beginning just adds the “cuteness” of it. It’s very poppy but it’s good!  I really like lullaby/music box feel that the next song brings. It’s called “Broken Places” and the only way I can describe the words “music box” is like a light, gentle tune. Tiffany’s voice brings out that powerful sound it needs!

We’re almost done from the standard version. The next song is called “Faithful” and it’s another song that I feel like I should like, because I can hear a piano and Tiffany’s voice is soft, but I feel like it’s a bit dull! “Champion” starts off with this upbeat sound, it almost makes you want to start dancing or jump up and down! It would be a good song to motivate runners before or to keep going in a big run in the summertime. I really like this one!! This starts off pretty and slow, then it becomes a bit dramatic. It’s called “Sleep Would Be Sweet” and I think it’s safe to say that this will become another favorite of mine! I would like to see a lyrical/contemporary dance out of this song! I think it would be a beautiful way to make this song come alive! That’s just my opinion! The last two songs of the album: “When You Walk Into The Room” and I thought this one would be about her husband or her kids, but I can see it being about God too. I like the sound of it, not too much to say about the words though. And the last one is called “Restored” and it’s very airy in the beginning, you can sway back and forth to it. I love the message behind this song too. What you think of the word “restored” is what the song is about and that’s a good way to end anything, especially an album.

I don’t know why I was so worried about this, it’s actually really great!! I don’t like only two songs out of twelven. That’s a new record for me I think! You’re honestly not going to like a whole album off the bat. I’ve never done it that’s for sure! I would rate this as a 9/10 and that’s my honest opinion. It really surprised me of how good it was but you can’t hate on Plumb’s music. If you’ve listened to the album, what are your favorite tracks off of it?