The best of 2002 (12/02)

By The Lowell

May. 4, 2004

Album

Orem, Utah, hardly seems a breeding ground for an energetic, passionate, and sincere rock band.

The Used have assaulted the masses with their self-titled album, and in the process achieved national fame. After releasing their album in late June, the quartet has been relentlessly promoting it through touring and airplay. In only a short amount of time, the group has evolved from playing small clubs to sold-out concert halls.

A mix between hardcore, emo and metal, The Used's adrenaline-fueled songs are catchy, but at the same time evoke an energy few bands are capable of on a studio recording.

"Maybe Memories" leads off the thirteen-song album, and it provides an up-tempo start that does not falter throughout the entire record. Singer Bert McCracken alternates singing with screams as he speaks of his battle with drugs and recovery.

McCracken's vocals "As we trudge along through mud, and we tried to call it home, we weren't alright, not at all" pierce through a barrage of solid guitar riffs kept steady by a hard and pushing beat.

"A Box Full of Sharp Objects" is perhaps the best tune on the album, as its melody makes the listener want to scream along. A shouting verse, "We'd fallen in love it was the best idea I ever had," is followed by a melodic chorus that does not allow the song to sink into a monotonous composition.

To show they are capable of more than just riveting rock, The Used shift gears with "On My Own," which decries the injustices of heartbreak. This acoustic ballad is a change in pace but still has as much power as the other pounding songs.

Perhaps the most appealing characteristic of the album is the brutal honesty it expresses. Listeners can sense the sincerity of every song as the band traverses personal subjects such as pain, perseverance and passion. The Used dove headfirst into the national spotlight this past year, emerging from anonymity to become one of Billboard's most successful "heatseekers" of 2002, a distinction given to artists with the potential to dominate the music industry.

As their most popular song "The Taste of Ink" proclaims, The Used will "savor every moment of this."

-Danai Leininger

TV Show

Guilty pleasures and secret vices: Everybody has them. This year, many viewers are closing the curtains on Monday nights to watch the WB's new hit drama Everwood.

Set in the sleepy, snowy, close-knit town of Everwood, Colorado, the show revolves around newly widowed neurosurgeon, Dr. Andrew Brown, and his two children 15-year-old Ephram and 8-year-old Delia. After the doctor's wife dies, he moves the family from the lively, bustling city of New York to the quirky yet charming town of Everwood.

Relations within the family are put to the test as the three try to adjust to small-town life. Ephram, especially, resents the move. However, he finds one saving grace in the seemingly dull town: neighbor Amy Abbott, daughter of the town's family doctor and Andrew's arch-enemy Harold Abbott.

Only after befriending Amy does Ephram discover that she already has a comatose boyfriend who needs Dr. Brown's help.

Don't let the fact that Everwood airs on the WB scare you away. In many ways, the show is meant for an adult audience. Not to say that it's dull. Everwood does have its share of love triangles, stormy relationships and sarcastic comedic relief.

Although the plot sometimes smacks of soap opera-like melodrama, the show somehow makes it work without coming off like typical WB teenage bilge, mostly because Ephram shows little of the typical, superficial teen angst common in many WB shows.

To say that Everwood is an unexpected hit is an understatement. After all, who expected a delightful and engaging drama from a network that boasts shows like the ridiculous Birds of Prey and melodramatic teen soap-opera Dawson's Creek? Though Everwood may not fit the WB lineup, it takes the prize as its best show.

-Mia James and Julyanne Liang

Movie

A dimly lit room fills with the tearful voices of people condoling a family after a tragic and unexpected death. Upstairs, the atmosphere is starkly different: Girls giggle and playfully argue over who gets what from the deceased young woman's closet.

Normally the death of a loved one would not be a laughing matter, but director Brad Silbering's Moonlight Mile explores the importance of humor in the mourning process.

In Moonlight Mile, Jake Gyllenhaal stars as Joe Nast, a young man reeling from the death of his fiancée in a random shooting at a diner. Not knowing where else to turn, he moves in with her parents, and the three begin a strange and complex relationship.

Though the story of a man learning to cope with a loss might sound cliché, the film is deep and insightful. Standout actors play characters who go through emotional changes that affect not only themselves, but also each other.

In numerous scenes, Gyllenhaal's character is often silent, but his deep, penetrating eyes convey feelings he is unable to express in words.

Dustin Hoffman delivers a remarkable performance as Nast's wisecracking would-be father-in-law, who shelters Nast as if he were one of his own children. Susan Sarandon portrays his cigarette smoking, whisky-drinking wife, who appears to deal with the loss better than the others, though she occasionally lets down this facade during moments of grief and rage.

The film's fantastic soundtrack features classics from the seventies that add to the mood of the scenes and to the movie's vintage vibe.

Although Moonlight Mile treats a delicate and depressing subject, viewers are left with a resounding feeling of hope after the final credits roll. When Oscar season arrives, it will be no surprise if Moonlight Mile shines at the top.

-Amanda Cheung

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