Stephanie. 19. Long Island/Westchester, NY. These are my musings. These are my complaints. These are my thoughts. This is my heart.
I go to college at Pace University in Pleasantville, NY. I'm looking to go to Boston, or Chicago, or Los Angeles for Grad school. I'm a double major, Education and Italian, with a minor in Spanish.
Io parlo italiano y tambien espanol.
I judge how skinny I am by how much my collarbone sticks out.
Sometimes Stephie smiles, and sometimes it's too hard.
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In March of 2012, William Beckett introduced us to the beginning of his solo career after departing as the front man of The Academy Is…. After both his ties to The Academy Is… and record label Fueled By Ramen were severed, Beckett announced he’d be releasing three EPs in quick succession over the course of the year. His first EP, Walk the Talk, accompanied by an East Coast tour by the same name, wowed and astounded both fans and critics. Walk The Talk left a big impression for Beckett’s sophomore EP, Winds Will Change, to fill. Could Beckett strike gold twice in a row? Had he peaked at his first EP? Of course not! Winds Will Change continues to take the listener on a ride through turbulent times.
Walk the Talk showed fans of The Academy Is… there were sides of the frontman we had never seen, and Winds Will Change only cements the fact, offering up four unique Beckett-penned tracks to fans both old and new. Whereas Walk the Talk was based around the rollercoaster of emotions coinciding with new love, Winds Will Change invites the listener to explore the emotions coinciding with blossoming relationships, the fight-or-flight sensations which could come when one starts to think about planting down with someone special. Beckett’s ability to weave a story through his EPs is astounding and leaves listeners yearning to hear the conclusion in the third and final EP.
When Beckett debuted “Great Night”, the first song off of his EP, on the Walk the Talk tour, the one word I kept coming back to in description was “vaudevillian”: the bouncing piano and guitar undertones, along with the chorus immediately places the listener in a German bar where the patrons are singing along while waving their steins of beer back and forth. It gives the illusion of a peppy and cheery tune, while in actuality, Beckett sings about an optimistic, yet unfortunate, blind date with terror (“I arrived with my glass half-full/You were drinking like a raging bull”). “Great Night” provides the listener with samples of what Beckett can do with a voice which he obviously has a great amount of control over. At the end of the day, it’s an amazingly funny song where Beckett uses his voice not only as an instrument, but also as a thematic device.
There’s something about the next track, “Warrior”, which mentally places me on a hoverboard (think Marty McFly in Back to the Future II), fighting for my life through a dystopian battlefield. Alternating with his usual croon, Beckett’s voice takes on a gravelly nuance while he describes the tug-and-pull sensations of being in the whirlwind relationship with a spirited, spunky girl. The beat induces head-nodding and supported by futuristic compositions, flipping between powerful and peculiar, are lyrics which instantly take control (“It’s my city and I owe no explanation”). Some songs which have such an interesting composition sometimes get paired with lyrics which get swept under the rug, and thankfully this is most certainly not the case with this tune.
My personal favorite from this EP is undoubtedly “Scarlett (Tokyo)”. Within this song, Beckett succeeds in recording one of the most catchiest hooks yet (“Oh Scarlett/I don’t care how far it is/I wanna go to Tokyo from the west most coast/Tokyo from the west most coast”). Move over Carly Rae Jepsen. This song is uniquely different from its other three companions on the EP, its dulcet tone and sing-a-long qualities will make it an instant fan favorite. Most importantly, I could easily see this song fitting in with other indie hits on the airwaves.
In the last track of the EP, “Dig a Hole”, Beckett sings of a budding, tentative romance. It’s no secret how much I, a former “Orch Dork”, adore the use of strings in modern music, and Beckett infuses them seamlessly along with relentless percussion underlying this song. In this song, Beckett likens waiting for a mystic something to happen to waiting for a flower to bloom. (“Dig a hole/Plant a seed/Top it off/Watch and see/Pray for rain/Wait a week”). The lyrics and music tie together in a way which ultimately syncs up in a euphoniously pleasing way and the dichotomy between verses and choruses create an interesting dynamic successfully rounding off a stimulating and thought-provoking EP.
Ultimately, Beckett showcases his ability to tell a story within his songs. Winds Will Change is an ode to the changing direction Beckett has taken since the October 2011 breakup of The Academy Is…. His sophomore EP proves to fans that we are just scraping the tip of the iceberg that is William Beckett. The music Beckett is unleashing now is powerful and it lures in music-lovers of all kinds, who are waiting to see what he will come out with next. Luckily, fans will only have to wait three months.
Overall Rating: 9/10 (with bonus points to William Beckett for naming his EP something that I can say without sounding like an uncultured swine.)
Follow William Beckett on his Twitter and Facebook.
Join his fanclub, The William Beckett Society.
And check out the EP, Winds Will Change, on YouTube and then buy it on iTunes.
It wasn’t a shock to some fans that The Academy Is… called it quits on October 8th, 2011, around five months after announcing that two of their members had parted ways with the band. Most had hoped that they’d trudge on, but after months of “soon” and open ended questions, the future of TAI seemed fuzzy. And with a blog post and the promise that “The Academy Is… belongs to you,” the band seemed to have perpetually put down their microphone and drum sticks. There was anger, yes, and there were tears, I’m sure. But most of all, there was a lingering question of “…well, what now?”
Sisky Biz (Bass whiz) has joined forces with Say Anything and is currently touring the United States with them on their Say Anarchy tour. Michael Guy Chislett went on tour with Brooke Fraiser. The Butcher focused on his side project, The Animal Upstairs as well as touring South America and Australia with Cobra Starship. And Mike Carden seems to have blended in with the LA scene, most fans not even knowing what he’s up to. And William … well, what about William?
It’s not as if we expected to have lead singer and lyricist William Beckett just die out with his band, did we? Someone with his stage charisma and talent could never just stop making music. And he made it quite clear to his fans that this wasn’t the end for him. Consistent YouTube videos from his “Under the Cover” series were followed by an announcement that he would be releasing an EP, entitled Walk the Talk on April 17th, with a tour of the same name to come after.
Well, my friends, today is April 16th, and on the eve of his release, critics and fans can come to an agreement that months of recording, reassuring, “soon”s, wishing, blogging, hoping, hinting, and tweeting has come down to an EP of unprecedented potency.
It wasn’t a shock to some fans that The Academy Is… called it quits on October 8th, 2011, around five months after announcing that two of their members had parted ways with the band. Most had hoped that they’d trudge on, but after months of “soon” and open ended questions, the future of TAI seemed fuzzy. And with a blog post and the promise that “The Academy Is… belongs to you,” the band seemed to have perpetually put down their microphone and drum sticks. There was anger, yes, and there were tears, I’m sure. But most of all, there was a lingering question of “…well, what now?”
Sisky Biz (Bass whiz) has joined forces with Say Anything and is currently touring the United States with them on their Say Anarchy tour. Michael Guy Chislett went on tour with Brooke Fraiser. The Butcher focused on his side project, The Animal Upstairs as well as touring South America and Australia with Cobra Starship. And Mike Carden seems to have blended in with the LA scene, most fans not even knowing what he’s up to. And William … well, what about William?
It’s not as if we expected to have lead singer and lyricist William Beckett just die out with his band, did we? Someone with his stage charisma and talent could never just stop making music. And he made it quite clear to his fans that this wasn’t the end for him. Consistent YouTube videos from his “Under the Cover” series were followed by an announcement that he would be releasing an EP, entitled Walk the Talk on April 17th, with a tour of the same name to come after.
Well, my friends, today is April 16th, and on the eve of his release, critics and fans can come to an agreement that months of recording, reassuring, “soon”s, wishing, blogging, hoping, hinting, and tweeting has come down to an EP of unprecedented potency.
I’d have to say that my favorite thing about Walk the Talk is that although there is some of the something to prove vibe from Almost Here and the raw energy of Santi mixed with the freshness of Fast Times, this new EP is truly a stand-alone masterpiece, which doesn’t directly relate to any previous work that Beckett has put out. I don’t listen to any song and get reminded by any other precious track that I’ve heard him write or sing. Walk the Talk is walking its own talk and it’s a bundle of power, tenderness, and pure emotion, unfiltered by anything that William Beckett did not want.
Walk the Talk opens up with the debut single “Compromising Me,” a poppy, little-bit-country, little-bit-rock’n’roll song, containing a message for anyone that has been doubting him in the past (“I know you’re going to say that I’m not cool enough/Tell all your friends I screwed it up/I could give two shits/Just let me breathe/I don’t, I don’t care what you’re saying about me/No I don’t care…”) This song clearly details how he felt while in the constraints of his band (“Walking up the mountain/A piano on my back/Gotta cut it loose/Throw away the noose/And forget about the past”) and sets the tone for the rest of the EP, that this is his music, his way, and he’s through compromising himself. As a listener, you know that whatever you’re going to be listening for the next fifteen minutes is pure, unadulterated Beckett and that you’re going to like it.
Consistent with the powerful tone of the EP, the next song “Girl You Shoulda Been a Drummer” comes in with a drum/tambourine combination reminiscent of The Monkees/Beach Boys. He croons about a dangerous, but thrilling love (“’Cause a scratch is what you’re gonna get/When you open the door and let a lion inside”). Fitted with an unrelenting drum beat and laced with guitar solos, this song is playful and showcases William’s voice in a powerful manner. It draws you in with a face-splitting grin when he shouts “No one does it like you do!” This song is as sassy and rambunctious as the girl it’s describing, with a chorus as catchy as puppy love infatuation. The beat has your toe tapping and your hips swaying and the array of vocals, from the lead, to the group, to the speak-singing give this song a degree of individuality that is so absent in today’s music scene. This song is going to be this summer’s go-to song for when you’re driving around with your friends with the top down and need a song to scream along to, terribly off-key.
Now, I must admit, I may be a bit gushy with this next track, but that is because “Oh Love” has been attached to my heartstrings since I first heard it premiered on one of Beckett’s StageIt performances. Acoustically, it was beautiful, a perfect romantic admission. But add a band behind it and the value of the song goes through the roof and exceeds every expectation I had for it. There are so many layers upon layers in this song that you have to listen to it two, three, four times so that you can fully appreciate every nuance that it has to offer. Beckett clearly devotes himself to the subject of the song, threatening to walk through deserts and sleep on broken glass whilst floating in the ocean in order to prove his devoutness. The hand-claps and driving guitar line add a new dimension towards the end and immediately make me picture myself being at a concert and clapping in tandem with the rest of the crowd. The fact that I could feel such unity just from a song is clearly a statement in itself. This song will be a fan-favorite for years to come, just because of the sheer fact that it’s so relatable. We’ve all had that one person that we would forge through rivers for, and hearing Beckett sing about such sentiments just makes the listener go, “Yes! Exactly!”
And finally, no album is complete without a heart-breaking ballad. Walk the Talk’s comes in the form of “You Never Give Up,” which was one of the firsts to arise to fans’ ears once Beckett announced his solo career. A hauntingly beautiful track, this song speaks out to fans and loved ones in Beckett’s life who he says have always supported him through his music career. Something about the resounding vocals set only to a consistent drum beat, echoing your own heartbeat, makes the listener close their eyes and breathe the moment in. It incredibly showcases William Beckett’s amazing vocal range, with high notes sprinkled throughout the song. His talents are put on display for a clearly adoring audience. It takes a very serious turn, but that just demonstrates the versatility of Beckett and his talents. The song is so intimate that you feel as though you’re possibly intruding on a moment in Beckett’s life, but isn’t that the point? This EP as a whole is a slice of Beckett’s soul, put on display for his fans. This track is a beautifully winding down piece to round out a wholly terrific EP.
All in all, when people, including Beckett, say that the split on October 8th was the best thing that could have possibly happen, it’s very difficult for a fan to comprehend that. They try to see how the end of a band that has saved their life and has been quite literally their only friend through tough times could ever be perceived as a good thing. But in my humble opinion, I think it all comes together once you listen to this EP. You can clearly see how William Beckett has progressed and grown through the stages of his life. Walk the Talk is a musical piece of maturity, in essence. This is the music that Beckett has chosen to put out in the world because it’s the music that he feels best suits him, and as a music fanatic, you have to come to respect that. There will always be people who sit at home saying “The Academy will always be,” but when you get down to it, this EP is a brilliant way to show tentative fans that while The Academy belongs to us, we also have to be accepting of the changing tides. Walk the Talk is an emotional, powerful, hauntingly beautiful piece, and all that plus the confidence that William Beckett holds in his voice and his music leaves the listener craving for his next musical expedition.
You can check out William Beckett at his facebook, twitter, tumblr
I finish off the look with a bit of blush and some lipstick. During the day, I go with a "sweet nectar" from MK, but since it was nighttime, I did a redder berry color.
I've noticed that when I do my mascara, my lashes always kind of go straight, not curved up. Obviously, this would be fixed if I had an eyelash curler, but alas, I do not. So I improvise and use the bottom of the mascara tube to curl my lashes up so they're more defined.
Then I take the liquid pencil and either do a few swipes across the top lid, very close to my lashes. You can do little swipes out from the corner of your eyes, if you wished. I can't do that because my wrist fails, but ive seen it done very nicely.
I do a very thin but dark layer of the pencil on my bottom lids. I have the brown color because my mom didn't have black, but I like how it goes with my eye color. Obviously, you could substitute this for black or even indigo.
So today Lucy complimented me on my makeup and asked me how I did it, so I thought I'd give a small tutorial on how to do my insanely basic make up. I start with my skin and just do a tinted moisturizer and then foundation to cover up acne, then I set it in powder. For my eyes, I use a brown pencil from Mary Kay (because my mom sells it and I get it for free), L'oreal's extra-intense liquid pencil eyeliner (it has the precision of a pencil and the smoothness of liquid eyeliner), and Beauty Rush mascara from Victoria's Secret (it was a free gift or else I'd be using Mary Kay as well).
Wearing this sweater in the hopes that it makes me feel like a rockstar.
I really hate feeling like I'm being ignored or avoided. And lately, it's all I've been feeling, from roommates and classmates to people on the internet, to people I used to call friends. I feel like I'm constantly the second choice. I'm constantly the silver or bronze medal that people only get when they can't achieve the gold. I don't know what else I can do. I try to make myself available and friendly and sunny. But then I get passed up for someone else, someone better, someone nicer, someone prettier. Someone not me.
I have a mid-term in about an hour that I'm going to bomb. I have a sorority that I'm pledging. I have the honor's college. I have two honor societies. I have class. I have work. I have a $400 housing deposit due that I can't afford. I have no idea who I'm living with next semester or where. I have stress upon stress upon stress and I can't control it.
The people who told me they believe in me won't even acknowledge my presence anymore and I feel like no one will support me. If I don't get a 4.0 this semester, I disappoint someone. I'm going to be a bridesmaid and I have to buy a dress and I can't afford it. I want to go to LA this summer with my friends. I have to pay my phone bill. I can't do it all by myself and I have no one to ask help from. No one to support me. I have to support myself but I'm only 20 years old. I can't do it by myself.
Please, oh please, rock and roll sweater. Make me feel like a rockstar today.
