Music: Aloe Blacc, Good Things

I like that Aloe Blacc has given his album such an upbeat title. You might even be fooled into thinking that the songs are all about, well, good things. Oh well done Aloe. In fact, with his gorgeous melted chocolate voice, Aloe Blacc speaks his piece on unemployment, homelessness, alcoholism and twisted politicians. Good things!

With the recession still resonating with listeners here and across the pond, the anthemic and tragic single, 'I Need a Dollar,' has been a huge hit all over. It's vaguely reminiscent of an old spiritual - a soulful protest song. 'Politician' is a funky fight song, while 'Hey Brother' features a wicked wah-wah slap bass. Good Things is a sort of homegrown, rootsy old-school funky soul record, which is safe enough not to ruffle too many feathers when you play it in your car.

With all of this in mind, I wasn't tempted to drown my sorrows or crawl back under the covers after listening to the album. Blacc's delicious voice, accompanied by some funky bass, cheerful trumpets and class-A 'shoopers', makes this a joy to hear. If anything, I was moved to utter a few 'amens' in solidarity with Blacc's struggles. He even borrows from Buffalo Springfield's 'Stop Children What's that Sound,' if you're a fan.

My rating: **** 4/5 stars

Reccommendation: Preach it, Aloe! You'll love this if you're a fan of soul, funk or the 50s-esque stylings of Amy Winehouse and friends.

Theatre: The 39 Steps

The 39 Steps
Cast: Andrew Alexander (understudy), Laura Rogers, Dermot Canavan, Sean Kearns

"4 cast members play 139 characters in 100 hilarious minutes!"

This is a gem of London theatre. Full of humour, excellent staging, wonderful voices and brilliant storytelling, this show had me quite literally crying with laughter from start to finish. It really is a ripping ride from London to Edinburgh, jumping from moving steam trains, darting through windows and never consuming more than a thumb of whisky.

Based on the Alfred Hitchcock classic, the unintentional hero, Richard Hannay (who Andrew Alexander plays uncannily like the dashing Cary Elwes in The Princess Bride...swoon!) must travel from his lonely bachelor pad in London to discover the 39 steps, aquit himself of murder and save England from a strange man with four and a half fingers. Hannay is charming, quick-witted, rather athletic and cut from very noble cloth. The other three cast members between them play more than 100 other bizarre and brilliant characters, sometimes simultaneously in one scene!

The dialogue is pacey. The staging is faultless. The sound effects are hysterical. The finale is quite simply ridiculous. I loved it.

My rating: ***** 5/5 stars.
Recommendation: See it. Then see it again. Then see it again. I defy you not to laugh every time.