The Temper Trap ~ Conditions

Conditions, debut album from the Aussie four-piece, displays an array of eclectic ideas and influences. The utterly irresistible Sweet Disposition finds Mandagi’s ghostly falsetto floating over celestial shimmering guitars and a steady pulsating rhythm, the band finally let loose when the anthemic chorus kicks in. Almost as impressive is the hooky indie-pop of Fader, undeniably the most fun these somber lads have on this debut. A couple more tracks in this vein certainly would not have gone amiss. The digital ghost in the machine makes its presence felt on tracks such as Fools and Science of Fear, adding texture and atmosphere that comfortably blends with the band’s more organic sensibilities. While not as trendsetting as other recent releases, Conditions is still an enjoyable and welcome treat.

Standout tracks: Sweet Disposition//Fader//Love Lost//Fools

Neil Gaiman 'Stardust'

Fairy tales mold and shape the way children look at the world. They allow children to be enchanted by beanstalks that climb high up into the sky, dazzled by pumpkins transforming into carriages, and unnerved by talking wolves who can dress up as their grandma, if they so wish. Understandably (if perhaps lamentable) at some point in most peoples’ lives fairy tales become nostalgia; stories confined to children’s book shelves and Disney films, and only to be enjoyed by the oh so serious adults when retold to their very own little ogres and princesses. However if you are one of those individuals who secretly wishes you could still be reading good old fashioned fairy tales, whilst in the comfort of your nearest café, without the cultured intellectuals giving you supercilious glances every few seconds, then Neil Gaiman’s Stardust is the book for you.

Stardust is a charming, grown up fairytale that begins in the town of Wall. Young Tristran Thorn has his heart set on marrying town sweetheart Victoria Forester. In an effort to play down her suitor’s extravagant declarations of love and dissuade his affections, Victoria half-jokingly asks Tristran to retrieve a fallen star. The prize, her hand in marriage. Good hearted and virtuous Tristran readily accepts this challenge, and so sets off beyond Wall into the realm of Faerie; where stars take on human form, haggard witches seek eternal youth, and forest trees would as easily deceive any passing travellers as they would assist them.

All the necessary ingredients of a fairytale are included, but it is Gaiman’s unconventional recipe that allows the traditional to seem novel once again. The author does not hide the realities of human experience, such as sex, murder, and bodily functions, just because this is fantasy. Gaiman instead utilises these earthly idiosyncrasies to add humour and authenticity to the characters and events. Yet this is not a grown up fairytale in the style of Angela Carter’s short story collection The Bloody Chamber or Guillermo del Toro’s seminal film Pan’s Labyrinth, laden with astute social allegories. As Gaiman himself patiently explained to one journalist, “[Stardust]’s like an ice cream. It's to make you feel happy when you finish it."

Neil Gaiman 'Neverwhere'

Many will be familiar with Neil Gaiman’s work even if they are unfamiliar with the man himself. Recent Hollywood successes such as the stop-motion masterpiece Coraline and the heart-warming fairytale Stardust were based on original novels by Gaiman. Others may be more familiar with the authors work in the graphic novel genre. His The Sandman series is widely acknowledged as being one of the pinnacles of a format many are quick to snub; “a comic book for intellectuals” as Norman Mailer put it. With countless literary accolades to his name - including 19 Eisner Awards, 4 Hugo Awards and 3 Bram Stoker Awards - one begins to wonder why such a prolific and ingenious writer could still be somewhat considered as one of modern popular literature’s best kept secrets.

Neverwhere was originally conceived as a BBC television series back in 1996. Unsatisfied with the director’s interpretation of his artistic vision, Gaiman set about adapting his screenplay into a fully-fledged novel. Currently in its third, and what the author himself hopes will be, “definitive” version, Neverwhere is the tale of one Richard Mayhew. After a long and bizarre weekend helping a mysterious wounded girl who calls herself Door, recover and return home to what she calls London Below, Richard sets off to work on Monday morning as per usual. However it slowly dawns on him that no one seems to be noticing him at all. Successful attempts at drawing people’s attention prove to be of little consequence, since his colleagues can’t quite place him and mere moments after he has left everyone is quick to forget about him completely. Furthermore, he finds that he apparently no longer works in the office he has been employed with for the last 3 years, and that his apartment is up for sale without his consent. He hasn’t so much become invisible, but a person of no significance – one of those individuals who has fallen between the cracks. Realising that his new non-existence is somehow related to his chance encounter with Door, Richard is thus forced to try contact Door once again in her native London Below, in search of answers. What ensues is a highly entertaining and comic quest through London Below, where Richard aids Door in solving the mystery of who murdered her family, whilst simultaneously trying to gain his life back.

Whilst the narrative of a protagonist being unwillingly swept into a previously hidden fantastical alternate reality, and trying to find their way back home, is by no means a novel one – think The Wizard of Oz or The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe – Gaiman’s vivid imagination is what keeps the reader turning page after page, delighting and revelling in the world he has created. Firstly there is the enthralling London Below, home to all who have fallen between the cracks. London’s sewers and underground stations form the physical setting of this twisted Victorian-esque city that co-exists beneath the modern day capital. Then there is the motley Floating Market which is packed with the most random and peculiar folk, where one can acquire anything from oriental foods, to nightmares, to unwanted rubbish fished out of the sewers. Gaiman’s knack of creating colourful Dickensian characters certainly does not hinder the magnetism of this novel. Perhaps the best examples of this are the insatiably wicked and demented Messrs Croup and Vandemar; two hired assassins whose meticulousness for murder and torture is akin to the obsession of perfection Michelangelo must have possessed, whilst working on the Sistine Chapel ceiling. There is also the flamboyant Marquis de Carabas, a nonchalant merchant who prefers to be paid in favours. These are the category of characters readers would happily read a few more hundred pages about, in order to explore their histories and personalities in greater depth.

Plot arguably plays second fiddle to character and setting in Neverwhere, but the characters and setting are so marvellous that they more than make up for any predictability. Gaiman’s writing style is infused with rich descriptive vocabulary that allows the magic to easily traverse the page. And his brilliant use of London underground station names as inspiration for some of his characters (the Seven Sisters, Angel Islington, Hammersmith et al.) must have most fantasy novelists wondering how on earth they had never envisaged that concept before. Neverwhere may sometimes feel as if it is little more than a literary playground for Gaiman’s imagination to run amok in, yet lucky are we to be allowed to delve into his fiefdom.