Sorry josephlikesmusic fans for the lack of posting recently but I have been busy with school!!!! Anyways one of my all time favorite ska bands, Kill Lincoln, recently dropped their fourth studio album so I am so back to review it.

No Normal doesn't stray too far sonically from previous Kill Lincoln projects, but I have no issue with that! Kill Lincoln does a great job of capturing the classic ska sound, while still being able to stand out in this new-tone wave. The catchy vocals and the tight horn section have always stood out to me as part of Kill Lincoln's style, and these features are not lost on this album.

Stinkbug really captured my attention on my first listen to the album. The first verse, especially the funky little syncopation between the drums and vocals really drew me in, but the themes and lyrics of the track are really what keeps bringing me back to the song.

Another song that immediately hooked me was Coming or Going, with an intro that reminds me of classic two-tone ska bands like The Specials. While the two-tone vibe sadly doesn't last the entire songs, the horn riffs really make up for it. This song has instrumental breaks and it really lets the talent of each member shine through. This album has many opportunities for the instrumentals to display their artistry, including songs like Never Getting Better, with a sort of bouncing back and forth between the horns and bass. I think this is what really lets Kill Lincoln stand out amongst other ska bands, who may have talented horn players that often take the back seat. In my experience, bands that really let everyone take a turn in the spotlight are so much fun to both listen to and watch live, so I just love that Kill Lincoln takes this approach with their music.

I thought that the title track, No Normal, was such a great choice as a closer for this project. The lyrics really wrap up the overall themes of the album, and the instrumental is just so catchy. I think that successfully ending an album is very difficult, but this track just does it so well. It is just such a satisfying ending to an album that many, many fun and catchy songs.

Kill Lincoln is one of many new tone ska bands that is proving that the ska scene is still alive and kicking. Their music is not only a love letter to all of the bands that came before them, but also something new for young and old ska fans alike. They are also just so much fun to see live, they have so much energy and passion for their music and I am always looking for the next opportunity to go and see them again. I just love the music these guys make and can't wait to see what they put out next.

SPOILERS!

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Okay! I actually really liked the this episode!

I felt like the whole school sequence was Home Alone-esque, and that made it infinitely funnier to watch.

So about that ending, eh?

We got an interpretation of this entire page! I was like, “I REMEMBER THAT PAGE”

Anyway, so we also got a few loose plot threads…

1. Bruno telling Kamala that not only was she a Clandestine, she also had some weird genes mixed in, namely that she had some kind of mutation going on. Now, I’m not going to jump to conclusions and say that she’s a mutant because that’s not likely 《14 Jul edit: I stand corrected, it is very, very likely》, and second, maybe it it was where she came from that altered her genes just enough to have a genetic mutation occur. After all, it’s also a real science thing for mutations to occur too, so I’m not going to stretch this and say it’s all sci-fi to have a human be a result of genetic mutation. ALSO, it’s really not too far off for Kamala to be half-human, because I don’t think regular humans would be able to withstand the kind of powers that Kamran and Kamala have. They both come from the same place and as such, have similar powers, and I think the reason why Kamran was having so much trouble containing his powers was because there was no inherent housing for it like Kamala has the bangle. Bruno did state much earlier that the bangle helped to unlock whatever inherent latent powers she has within her body, so the bangle helped to contain much of the power. But poor Kamran, he’s got no housing, both for himself and for his powers. It hurt him so much, to just keep it in.

2. Having Kamran and Kareem meet was a nice plot thread to keep dangling, what with Kamran panicking that the Red Daggers were always after his family, but honestly, Kareem is a nice guy, and based on what Kamala may have told him, I’m sure he understands Kamran’s situation. That’s kind of why Kamran ends up in Pakistan because in a previous interview, Aramis Knight (who plays Kareem) notes that his character knows more about Kamala’s powers than she does, and it’s kind of a neat Easter egg because the fact that he knows about Kamran’s and Kamala’s powers (well, Kamala did tell Kareem about that on the phone, so there’s that), Kareem understands that Kamran is someone in need of help. And that’s nice!

3. I had noted in one of my group chats a few weeks ago that in the comics, Kamala doesn’t really end up with anyone despite falling in love with not just Bruno, but also Kamran and, for a while, Kareem too. I had noted, back then, that Kamala in the show doesn’t need to end up with a love interest, and so, it wasn’t that much of a surprise to actually be proven correct: that Kamala doesn’t end up with anyone. Don’t get me wrong though, the boys are really awesome guys that Kamala connects really well with, and it’s such a good thing to know that Kamran isn’t a jerk like he was in the comics. He’s just scared and lost, and needs someone to help him. Kamala having a bit of a moment with Kamran was kinda cute (and Bruno catching them almost in the act) but hey, what’s a girl to do 😅 Somehow now, I want Bruno and Kareem to meet up, that’d be fun. Also, I want to know what the dynamic between Kareem and Kamran is going to be. We only got a little bit of dynamic between Bruno and Kamran, so there’s that.

4. That mid-credits scene though, was so confusing - Kamala’s bangle glows like it never did before, she stands up and admires her newest outfit in the mirror, and then…….zooooooooop, her surprised yelp cut short, she’s gone and somehow…Carol Danvers gets up from the floor, steps into Kamala’s room. Just what had happened? Whatever happened, Carol is now panicking because she’s not wherever she needs to be, and Kamala is likely panicking too, wherever she may have disappeared to.