Elbow, The Take Off And Landing Of Everything
It’s not really accurate to say that the British band Elbow has matured on its sixth album—even when these Brits were considerably younger, they sounded reasonably serious and accomplished. But there’s something particularly austere about The Take Off And Landing Of Everything. Maybe it’s the subtle electronic drums and background vocals that punctuate the beginning of “Honey Sun” or just the scope of the epic, gorgeous title track. But mostly I think it’s that the whole thing sounds so beautifully patient. There’s no reaching for a pop hook or a huge chorus this time around, but rather a sense of longing for mood. That’s undoubtedly a commercial liability, especially in America, but it hasn’t hurt the band at home, where it always makes the charts. But slow down enough to pay close attention, and there’s something classic here, something grown-up and lovely. [Josh Modell]
Danny Macaroons
A couple of weeks ago, I put out a call on Twitter for A.V. Club readers to send us stuff they wanted us to eat. We got a lot of suggestions, but we also got a lot of notes from actual food producers, including the fine people at New York’s Danny Macaroons. They were kind enough to send us not one but three boxes of macaroons, which the entire A.V. Club staff enjoyed—except Sean O’Neal, who hates coconut. Light, sweet, and surprisingly low calorie, the macaroons were a nice spring treat. And while I don’t think any of us really celebrate Passover, they’d be a nice gluten-free dessert option for the holiday. We were especially partial to the salted caramel and peanut butter and jelly macaroons, though we will say that the jalapeño one left us a bit mystified—and we’re kind of pissed that we got these before Danny launched the Stoopid macaroon, which features potato chips, pretzels, pieces of Butterfinger, and a dark-chocolate drizzle. [Marah Eakin]
Top Of The Lake
When assistant TV editor Sonia Saraiya recommended the TV miniseries Top Of The Lake, she did so with such urgency that I started it that night. And she was so spot-on in her recommendation that I watched all seven episodes in two sittings. Elisabeth Moss stars as a detective who is trying to crack the case of a missing 12-year-old pregnant girl, but director Jane Campion takes the missing/abused girl trope and turns it on its head. The show becomes a jaw-dropping commentary about what it’s like to live in a world that normalizes and even excuses rape. The show can be indulgent in its pacing, but with a gorgeous New Zealand setting, it hardly matters. And with such uncomfortable material, it’s nice to have a little more time to process the nuances of the plot. [Laura M. Browning]