I just wrote my first album review and I know it needs work. Please offer tips of any kind!
I will post it for free here, but if you have medium please read it here:
https://medium.com/@benbrotmanb/secrets-heartbeat-atavista-by-childish-gambino-an-album-review-fce8f38ee5a0
But here's the full article:

“Secrets, Heartbeat” Atavista by Childish Gambino : an Album Review

Atavista released on May 13, 2024, a yearned-for date for fans of Childish Gambino’s former records like his most recent efforts Kauai (2014) and “Awaken, My Love!” (2016). It’s no secret that Donald Glover has carved into and entrenched himself in the inventive R&B and Hip-hop scene of the last 20-plus years, an extension of his creative and successful efforts as an actor. The following he’s amassed have waited a long seven years for the release of any project, unsure for much of that time if he even would.
Childish Gambino’s musical projects have improved with each release since 2011’s Camp. In those earlier years, his messages were met with overwhelmingly corny delivery and style, but his endeavors remained steady and he eventually found more profound and artistic ways to speak to his audience and the world. Gambino’s music includes but is not limited to addressing and critiquing American society and pop culture (see his smash hit “This is America”), while also pondering what life means and who he really is behind the fame.
The anticipation for this record was high for many having found enjoyment in his discography, including, most recently, the psychedelic, groovy, passionate, and emotional “Awaken, My Love!”.
The album art to represent this record seems to differ completely from all his previous. The jarringly blank white background with “ATAVISTA” pasted across the center to me indicated a significant change in his approach these many years later, but his style changes so drastically with each release that it was up in the air.
The introduction and title track “Atavista” fed us a short reflection on the word and it’s context — it meaning some sort of return to something ancestral or left behind, but this track didn’t reveal too much about how the rest would unfold.
By the third song “Time” with Ariana Grande, it was clear that Childish Gambino was taking another more pop-based approach to his regular variation on R&B — dappled with messages about his unique journey with self-love (see “To Be Hunted”) and the faults within social media(in “Algorhythm” and more).
A suprising first feature on the record, Ariana steps up to the plate. Her verse ends about as quickly as it begins, leaving something to be desired of her talent. The experience thus far felt lacking, but it was hard to put a finger on it.
What gave the album some kick after a slightly underwhelming beginning were two stand-out catchy and trademarked Gambino groove tracks: “Sweet Thang” with Summer Walker and “Little Foot Big Foot” with Young Nudy. The former is a sugary, southern, and soulful track that speaks on the ups and downs of relationships, neutrally expressing negative traits about his lover, but that they are a “sweet thang” regardless. “Little Foot Big Foot” showboats an earworm flow paired with a masterfully-utilized Nudy verse — a testament purely by his presence to the track’s message about the connection between absent fathers and drug dealing.
The album’s progression then begins to experience a falling action. Ther final few songs contributed little to the more passionate essence of what Gambino laid out just before. The production and overall sound of the the record (and especially the second half) was bland, monotonous, and drawn out — not something expected to hear after expecting the building momentum to continue. The wait was overall not worth the results of Childish Gambino’s efforts this time around, only creating a greater hole to fill for fans of his who feel the same.

5.5/10.

Oh it was indeed quite a night; The song doesn’t lie. I remember that night because I was denied my Bots Bouncers license once again; they knew of my history with the Jesus Vanderbilt gang. “Make sure our friend Jenson here finds his way home tonight,” Kelly said. She was the head honcho on Tuesday nights at McMillan’s Pub. Jenson must’ve been the man sitting next to me, snoozing in his plate of buffalo wings. “I can’t do that, Kel” I said. “No license.” That’s when the Space Gorillaz came into the pub. Everyone in the bar had forgotten that exactly a year ago they vowed to keep everyone in the bar overnight and subject them to the song, “oh what a night,” on the jukebox for hours and hours on repeat. “Looks like we’re in for one heck of a night,” Kelly said.

So I’ve recently graduated cosmetology school and a little over a month ago I began working at a high end salon as a assistant and now moving to working one on one with a senior stylist. My dilemma is that I came into this industry to specialize in natural/curly hair and although my salon offers a ton of education and classes, none of it aligns with my primary goals in this industry. Some stylists do work with curls but I don’t feel like I’d be learning anything from them. On the contrary, I’d be teaching them and I still have a TON to learn in what I want to specialize in. Although I know the more you know the better in this industry, and I am learning and also am interested in being a well versed stylist, but I can’t fight the feeling that I’m straying from why I even started all of this and this is starting to make me feel less than excited to go to work. There aren’t many curly specialists in my area so this is making it tough for me to find a mentor or someone that I feel like I could really learn from. I’d say I definitely have to be more of a go getter and fly solo to get myself positioned in the industry but this is where I’m struggling on what to do. Also, the salon I work at doesn’t booth rent and it’s the typical stylist level 1 40/60 commission and go up from there by experience but I don’t think it would be right that I’m paying out of pocket for these pricey curly classes/certifications to then go to a salon and only make 40% especially when I’d be the only stylist there that could offer true curly cuts and styles. Maybe it’s something I can negotiate down the line but who knows. So my question is should I stay at the salon or would it make more sense to go all in solo? I know this is not recommended but I was thinking of just doing hair out of my house for now until I build my clientele up enough to booth rent because I really don’t see any other way to take off in this specialty while working for a salon and I already feel like I’ve wasted enough time dragging my feet in my area of focus. I regret not making better use of my time while in school but that’s not here nor there.
For background, the reason I can’t do both is because I am a single mom juggling 2 jobs so my time is very limited and I don’t want to take the little free time I have away from my kids so I’d have to sacrifice something and it can’t be my bread winning job because well, that’s how I support myself and my family. I’m only part time at the salon and make pennies so financially it wouldn’t be a hit to me. Sorry for making this long and thank you in advance for any knowledge or insight offered!!

I have a German shepherd mix and she’s 11 years old. About 4 days ago we noticed she was bleeding from her vagina (spotting) and she was getting sick and threw up overnight when we were asleep. I called the vet, took in a sample of her pee and they put her on an anti inflammatory and amoxicillin. She’s was doing okay and only got sick one more time after 2 days of taking the pills. She’s also been on incurin for 3 years. She finished the pill for inflammation but still has a day of amoxicillin left to take.
She’s been walking weird since taking the new medication, stumbles and her butt goes to the side. She sways a little when she’s sitting and can’t seem to hold herself up her feet start to slide. She just walked up to me and crossed her front legs and slowly started to lean like she’s drunk almost?
She does okay for hours and then all of a sudden she’s just walking like she’s intoxicated. Is this normal behavior? She’s been sleepy and just resting most of the time but I’m so scared I didn’t catch the weird walking and balance issues fast enough.

Nothing has been talked about re royalties/ownership what’s normal - for when I ask them about it 1. Is it fair to ask for the royalties to go to you? 2. Do they then own the song? Can you release it yourself independently as well? 3. It’s a small start up label with not a huge reach what is even the benefit to doing this instead of just releasing the song myself where I get all the royalties and can promote it myself?
Any other things I should know ?

Hi everyone I’m really struggling with a back and forth. Please don’t be too harsh, this is really difficult and embarrassing but I genuinely need some input. I believe I have been catfished for almost a year. I know, I know “video chat”. I get it. I messed up and let the connection we made blind me. I feel embarrassed. I should have taken my gut feeling seriously instead of pushing it down for so long. I’m asking for a video chat tonight and that will solidify what I already assume. The issue is, looks aside, I really like this person a lot. Very strong feelings. As a person, I mean. They’re kind, hilarious, sarcastic, they treat me really well, and honestly they just understand me and we vibe so well. They’re respectful to me and check on me and are very sweet and thoughtful genuinely remember even the most small things about me or what I like or have said. confront and explain this? cut them off? ask them? naive? Probably. possible to have a relationship with someone who catfishes you? (I know catfishing is built on lies, but I don’t understand how he could fake 99% of everything else because genuinely I think it’s just those photos.)

I don’t know the lyrics or the title of the song I’m pretty sure it’s from the 80s-90s this is the only part of the song I can remember it might not be accurate:
Shookal shookal shuk a nee Shookal shookal shuk a nee
From what I can remember I’m pretty sure it was a live performance too and the song had trombones in it too. I can’t find the song on YouTube either, this might help tho “super diamono place de l obelisque” I’m not sure tho please help.

Nothing has been talked about re royalties/ownership what’s normal - for when I ask them about it 1. Is it fair to ask for the royalties to go to you? 2. Do they then own the song? Can you release it yourself independently as well? 3. It’s a small start up label with not a huge reach what is even the benefit to doing this instead of just releasing the song myself where I get all the royalties and can promote it myself?
Any other things I should know ?

I just watched this, and I need to know that someone else hated it as much as I did. I have never before felt the urge to write a director and ask for my money back. Where to begin? Pacing is slow AF. Plot is nonexistent. All the characters are awful and of course the woman is the worst and completely one dimensional. There is pointless homoeroticism everywhere with nothing to do with what little plot there is. The cinematography is inconsistent and very shaky, about 3/4 of the entire movie is close ups of one of the male leads smiling in slomo, the remaining quarter is Zendaya’s nips or ass. But the worst, my god, the very worst is the score, which was mostly bad club music pulsing intrusively right over dialogue, sometimes halfway through a scene. Then an abrupt switch to Spanish love songs and then hymns that sound like they belong in Charlie Brown’s Christmas.
I like tennis. I like a good old fashioned erotic script. I even like gratuitous nudity. But this movie has ruined all those things for me. I want to know what drugs were made available to whoever green lighted this absolute piece of garbage and then take them all in hopes of destroying the brain cells that contain memories of it. I have never hated a movie more.

Oh god, why can’t I sleep? Is it the company I keep? The corporate monotony, Or small town bureaucracy?
On you, it looks quite suitable, Playing god from inside a cubicle. For me, it ain’t that practical, Perhaps I’m just not tactical.
Oh, heavy is the hand that swings the sword.
Oh god, why can’t I sleep? Is it all on me, Or the company that keeps, me? Gods in sad beige cubicles, Laughing in the context of funerals.
But you’re a hero catching criminals, And preaching all your spirituals. I wonder why it’s so hard for you to sleep?
Heavy is my hand when I swing that sword.
Please doc, prescribe a sabbatical, Or another black box pharmaceutical. Perhaps this is my crucible.
You may call me Judas, But you’re strange, and sometimes ruthless. Gods with Stanley cups, Sure to clock off before lighting up.
Fed on confirmation bias, Oh my god, we’re all so pious! Is it justice that you seek, Or just another story for you to keep; Distracted from the life you lead.
Watch out, ourboros, heavy are the hands that swing the sword.
When I told you how I cried, There was a smile in your eyes. And your mouth spoke frequent lies, But that came as no surprise, Because you’ve been learning from the best, Looking like Mr. Collins in a dress.
No wonder it’s so damn hard for you to sleep. Just another pig stumbling on two feet, And this ain’t the journey for me, But since you’re real comfortable, Go on, continue the show. For me, it’s time to go, to sleep.
They might say I’m troubled, I’ll admit, I was befuddled. The lord I don’t believe in knows I’m not perfect, but I know the price to swing that sword ain’t worth it.
Ourboros, how heavy is the hand that swings the sword

Well… it wasn’t like seein your grandma in a duck costume screaming “someone gets the wrench there is a raccoon in the tomato patch” weird but… at least somethin like it.
Anywho, I wanted to inform everyone of my first hike! It was today and it was quite nice! Except the bees and the teleporting deer and the feds and the bunker but WE WILL GET TO ALL OF THAT YALL I PROMISE I AINT MR. BANE WHO KEEPS THINGS NICE AND CONCISE I LIKE SPEAKIN!
So it all started when I put on my boots, I opted to get some nice dark green ones and paint and lil smiley face on it :) and when I got my gear that was so kindly left in the diner for me I went outside and began walkin to the mountain. It was quite a nice day too! The sun was shinin and the birds were doin their little do-op I even saw Mr. Tom! He don’t like me much though, he threw a bottle at me.
When I got to the mountain I was a little puzzled at how many different ent paths there were. Some where on the map and some weren’t, I could see some green flags in the distance but I watch late night television ain’t no way I’m goin off the beaten path (unless it’s to save my bff Claire) So I looked at the nice map and chose the red path I couldn’t see exactly where it was leadin but it seemed like it was nice and easy. That’s when I heard a buzz… and there on a small tree was a little honey bee nest!
Now… back in Alabama it was pretty rare to find some nice bees but these ones seemed super friendly! I was even able to get up real close to the nest with no issue at all! (Don’t do this at home kids) but then somethin truly odd happened… there was a smell… like a… metallic smell… mixed with like bleach… it started freakin me out a bit so I left them as is and went up the path. I saw some beautiful views and got to use the compass I was gifted! It got me thinkin about this place… how much I love it… but also how much I don’t remember… that’s when I saw the deer.
Now I tell ya… I used to go hunting with my daddy and I’ve seen some bucks but this one… was MASSIVE. and it had little cute white hoofs!!!! It came up to me and gave me a little stare like it was trying to say hi. Or maybe not. Now this is when it gets weird… I swear on my daddy’s life this buck was right in front of me and then when I blinked… it was over 10 feet away from me! I was honestly surprised… I tried to step again but it ran away as soon as I made a sound :(
So I decided to carry on and I made it to the end of the trail! Yay me! I saw a nice pond with some cute frogsssss. I named one teddy and the other Lisa… if you find them, tell them “ribbit” for me!
Now this is when it gets a little intense (Mr. Bane I may need your help) I remember seeing that wonderfully interesting post about that bunker and goddarnit I found it! But it was really far away from me up a cliff. And I don’t know what made me decide to eat my lunch then and there but I did! I sat and unwrapped my pastrami sandwich ich and chowed down. Now folks up until this point I ain’t seen no other human being, so let me tell you when I jumped out of my skin when I heard a voice in the distance yelling “hey!” Aw man I jumped!
I remember having to squint my eyes to block the sun and look up the cliff. And there at the top was a man in a dark suit and sunglasses then another…. Then another… then ANOTHER. 4 FEDS ALL CROWDED AROUND THIS BUNKER. Now if this don’t smell like my dead cat then I don’t know what does! (Fishy)
Now folks get a load of this… I go “hey” FBI “what are you doing?” Me “eatin” FBI “why?” Me “cuz I am hungry… is there a problem sir”FBI “you can’t have pastrami here” Me “what the hell? Why not?” FBI “interference” Me “with what?” FBI “we suggest only eating cheese sandwiches in the woods… ungrilled they must be cold”
And you will NEVER GUESS WHAT HAPPENS NEXT…. THEY THROW 3 CHEESE SANDWICHES HIES AT ME. I got to many questions
Why do they have them? Why are they wrapped? Why are they on multigrain? Why did they give me three?
Wow I really do feel like Mr. Bane.
Anyway after that I lost my appetite and made my way down the mountain and back to my home.
I’m excited to do that again soon though!
Thanks for reading! Kisses SB

Baby has found a home, we’re still looking for a forever home for Airy. Female Green Cheek Conure, link provided to original post with all her information. She in the last photo
https://www.reddit.com/Conures/s/qL3pTRaHd5

More specifically the tone on “Invitation to Her’s”
It’s clear and grounded but also has a little rught in it.
I think it’s most easily heard in “Low Beam” “She Needs Him” and “Don’t Think It Over”
Thanks in advance.
Edit: I guess it’s pretty clear in all of the “Invitation to Her’s” song. The tone is amazing.

My ex and I just broke up.
One of the bitter issues we had was that he was really controlling.
He tried to convince me that the changes he made to my health were things that I wanted.
1) I got off of my birth control. The first reason he gave was that it lowers men’s testosterone. He also said that there was research saying it had “negative impact on relationships” and said that it never ends well?? And he said that I would need to be off of it for a year before he’d consider marrying me. I argued back that we live in a state with no reproductive rights, so I would have to go out of state for an abortion or he would need to care for our kid that he can’t support right now. He convinced me to stop it “for myself”.
2) I was on a prescription medication for insomnia that happened to be an antidepressant. He is very passionately anti-pharmaceutical; he said he does not want a partner or a mother of his children to be on antidepressants or pharmaceuticals. I argued back that that is for my doctor or OB/GYN to say, not him. Apparently he knows better than them though so he convinced me to stop it “for myself”.
3) I made all of these changes for him. When he had a problem with me, I had to change it otherwise he’d give me an ultimatum. But if I had a problem with him, I had to get over it because he’s right and I’m wrong and he doesn’t have to change himself. Just me.
4) We went camping and everyone was partying, drinking, smoking and I got dehydrated because of the cold, making me more drunk than intended. Nothing happened. I was just drunk and my boyfriend had to make sure I didn’t fall in the pond because I wanted to paddleboard. My boyfriend took a photo of me drunk and sent it to my sister’s boyfriend to shame and embarrass me. I discovered it, and confronted him. He threatened to break up with me, and put me on an “exercise program” where I had to exercise to “earn” drinks during the week. Yep. If I exercised 3 times a week, I’d earn one drink, etc.
5) Someone asked my ex why he had not proposed to me, and I wanted to know too. This was after I had made all these changes for him and was working on other problems he had with me. He said he, “Still had to see more progress from me” for a while until he was sure. At that point, I felt like goal posts would just continue to get moved and I would always be trying to meet certain standards. Stick and carrot.
6) He told me multiple times that his love was conditional. I had to meet certain conditions and standards to earn his love, and if I didn’t, he would withdraw that love and affection from me. He would become mean, cold, withdrawn, a stranger.
I mean, typing all of this out, I’m thinking who in the hell would be with a man like this?? But the blame is being placed on me for our breakup. He was treating me like shit on vacation, like I was worthless and meant nothing to him. His friend treated me with basic kindness and decency, nothing inappropriate happened. My ex was fighting with me, putting me down, making me cry, and his friend was hugging me, asking if I was okay, being supportive to me all right in front of my ex’s eyes. While my ex was treating me like trash, my ex said he was watching the whole time us getting close, yet he never stepped in to tell me he loved me, he cared about me, that I meant something to him, or any sign of affection or love. He just berated me and made me feel bad about myself.
I’m questioning my sanity.

Not sure if anyone likes to listen to music while they’re playing this game but I like to from time to time. I’ll keep it off in military locations or towns/cities but if I’m hitch hiking across the valleys, I’ll put on some Alice In Chains or Pearl Jam and I’m not sure why but it feels like it was meant for this game. Nothing heavy tho, more of the melancholy songs if anything. Here’s what I put in my DayZ playlist so far:
Alice In Chains-Down In a Hole Alice In Chains-Nutshell Alice In Chains-Rooster Alice In Chains-No Excuses
Pearl Jam-Black Pearl Jam-Present tense Pearl Jam-Daughter
Nirvana-All apologies Nirvana-Lake of Fire Nirvana-Plateau
Temple of the dog-Hunger strike
Chris Cornell-Seasons

I’m not sure where I heard this song but it’s stuck in my head. I’m fairly certain the part I do in the clip is electric guitar and that there is also violins in the piece. I don’t remember any words and want to say it’s just instrumental. Please help me :) https://voca.ro/1jexb0RMikZ5