Top 10 films of 2013

10. Rush

I know very little about Formula 1, despite having a dad who is obsessed. Every other weekend, it would dominate the TV and I'd watch the cars go round the tracks over and over again, not quite sure what was happening, but fascinated by the spectacle. A film about F1 is not one that would sit at the top of my "must watch" list, nevermind one directed by Ron Howard who I've never been overly keen on as a director (I'll let him off though thanks to his stint as the narrator on Arrested Development), but Rush managed to surprise me immensely. Focusing on the rivalry between the heavyweight stars of the 1976 season, James Hunt and Niki Lauda (played respectively by Chris Hemsworth and the highly underrated Daniel Bruhl), it felt accessible to someone who isn't too into the sport whilst still being exhilarating viewing to those who know their F1; stuffed with great performances (and the reunion of Green Wing stars Stephen Mangan and Julian Rhind-Tutt) and exciting race scenes, it almost feels like the Friday Night Lights of motorsports.

9. A Field In England

Watching A Field In England for the first time right before bed when it premiered on Film 4 was an awful idea. Ben Wheatley is a director who seems to be able to squeeze every ounce of creepy out of the seemingly mundane in a way that only David Lynch has been able to do. In fact, A Field In England feels like what Lynch would do with Shakespeare. A mix of historical drama and Lynchian psychedelia with a hefty load of Shakespearean lyricism in the dialogue, it's a definite change from the more "kitchen sink" feel Wheatley is most well known for. It's haunting and experimental, managing to make a simple field seem like hell on earth, in part thanks to Michael Smiley's terrifying O'Neill.

8. This Is The End

A film about a bunch of movie stars pissing around should not be as funny as This Is The End is. Loaded with self-deprecating humour, celebrity cameos up the wazoo, and a lot of drink and drugs, it sounds like a recipe for disaster, but the cast, consisting of (only slightly) fictionalised versions of James Franco, Seth Rogen, Craig Robinson et al, manage to turn this fight for survival as the apocalypse hits into a stupidly silly but ridiculous enjoyable romp through showbiz satire and a hell of a lot of "this is so stupid but I'm laughing so hard I can't breathe" type jokes.

7. Django Unchained

Nearly all of Quentin Tarantino's films, regardless of where they actually sit genre wise, have had the DNA of Westerns running through them; but it's only now, 21 years after the release of his first film, that he has taken on the Western genre in Django Unchained. Making the focus on slavery, too, is a bold move by Tarantino that could quite easily have gone horribly wrong. As freed slave Django travels from plantation to plantation with Dr King Schultz dispatching slave owners in the search for Django's wife, the film feels like a buddy movie with a hefty dose of violence and a splash of inevitable controversy. It's stylish, funny, irresponsible, and daring. Basically, it's another Tarantino film!

6. Behind The Candelabra

Steven Soderbergh has had a pretty storied career since he exploded onto the scene in 1989 with sex, lies, and videotape. To bow out from directing feature films with a biopic of the flamboyant pianist Liberace, then, seems a weird choice. And yet, it almost feels like the perfect swan song. Behind The Candelabra, which focuses on Liberace's secret affair with his "assistant", is a stylish and affectionate portrayal of celebrity loneliness and the darker side of the limelight without feeling too polished and dishonest. Matt Damon and Michael Douglas give award-worthy performances, particularly Douglas who is as perfect for Liberace as Jamie Foxx was for Ray Charles. It's outrageous and flamboyant, much like Liberace, and feels like the only way Soderbergh could properly bow out from feature films.

5. Captain Phillips

Not one to sugar coat anything, giving the true tale of Captain Phillips encounter with Somali pirates to Paul Greengrass means that it isn't going to be some "good triumphs over evil" tale of survival. Instead, Captain Phillips is a claustrophobic, extremely tense, and utterly engrossing re-telling of those events with every gritty detail. It's emotionally and morally complex film in which there is no clearly defined good or evil. The pirates, led by a spectacular debut performance from Barkhad Abdi, occupy a very grey area; barely men thrust into this world, not by choice, but because its the only life they know and they need this to survive. Tom Hanks as the eponymous Captain Phillips gives an incredible performance as an ordinary man with no special skills just trying to survive. It's proof that, even after 30 years in the business, Hanks is not losing steam any time soon and is still putting out incredible performances. In any other hands, Captain Phillips could feel like another Hollywood blockbuster, but Greengrass manages to steer the boat into an emotionally complex thriller which doesn't succumb to sentimentality.

4. Gravity

Space is one of those terrifying beauties, like the deep sea. So empty and never ending, being alone in the vast nothingness is probably what terrified me more than the Xenomorph in Alien, or angry Mark Strong in Sunshine. Gravity is a film that feeds off that fear, shoving Sandra Bullock and George Clooney into space to float around after their ship is destroyed by space debris, while remaining utterly beautiful at the same time. Alfonso Cuaron, in my eyes a real visionary, turns the view of the Earth into a sort of malevolent postcard; picturesque but full of destruction. Panoramas of Bullock and Clooney tumbling through space, single-shot sequences that Cuaron is so well known for, all add up to create a film so packed with tension and adrenaline that you feel like you need to have a lie down when it's all over.

3. The World's End

The final installment in the Cornetto Trilogy (which only manages to reach second on my favourite trilogies list thanks to the Before... trilogy, as seen below), The World's End was always going to appeal to me since it's about a good old fashioned pub crawl with old mates. This one is a pub crawl in a town taken over by aliens but, y'know, potato potato. The World's End is a lot darker than Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz and, in that regard, feels like a more mature product, albeit one with a couple of stupid jokes and references to pop/pub culture which made the trilogy so brilliant. It also feels like the culmination of all the ideas Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg, and Nick Frost have been working towards their whole careers, particularly in regards to Wright who, thanks mainly to his work on Scott Pilgrim vs The World has pretty much perfected how to stage fight scenes, with a number of exciting, kinetic fights throughout the film. The World's End is a film about regrets, about being stuck in a moment instead of growing up, and that manages to be so emotionally dense without sacrificing the humour that made the trilogy what it is. A fitting end to a stellar trilogy.

2. The Spectacular Now

Your teenage years are synonymous with hormones flying all over the place, uncontrollable and unpredictable. It's a period of life rich with possibilities but also with a fear of the unknown as things start to slowly change, physically and mentally. You're told it's the "first day of the rest of your life" but many are unsure what they want to do with the rest of their life yet. It's a period that is rich with stories that have been put to film, some with great results, and some not so great. The Spectacular Now is perhaps the most earnest, warts-and-all, coming of age tale. The coming of age genre is one now so rife with cliches that trying to make one is like walking across a minefield in order to avoid them; The Spectacular Now navigates its way through the minefield deftly and comes across as a sincere portrayal of teenage life, sensitively tackling the issues with ease. The film is helped along by the extraordinary chemistry between the two leads, Miles Teller and Shailene Woodley, who have such a natural chemistry that they feel like a couple that you've known forever. James Ponsoldt (who also directed the criminally ignored Smashed) manages to bring the coming of age genre back down to Earth and, in doing so, creates a truly soulful portrayal of that messy period of life.

1. Before Midnight

Before 2013, if you were to ask me what my favourite movie trilogy of all time was, I'd probably answer Toy Story or, if I was trying to show off, Krzysztof Kieslowski's Three Colours. Now, after seeing Before Midnight, the Before... trilogy has rocketed up to that top spot, without a question. Midnight is not much different from the previous two entries in Richard Linklater's trilogy, but if it ain't broke, don't fix it. It's a trilogy of people talking. But when the dialogue is so good, who really wants there to be anything else involved? Midnight sees Jesse and Celine on holiday in Greece with their two children, the result of their encounter in Sunset, 18 years after they first met in Vienna. More mature than their younger, carefree selves in Sunrise and also probably Sunset, the conversations focus more on love, marriage and mortality, as well as looking back at their younger lives. Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy once again bring their effortless chemistry to their performances as they just converse. There's nothing fancy here, really, and I'm glad there isn't. The Before films have always been strongest when the conversations flow. The Greek Peloponnese doesn't feature as heavily as Paris or Vienna in the previous films, which is a shame because what we do see looks gorgeous, but that's only a tiny little niggle in an otherwise wonderful display of what you can do simply with great dialogue and great chemistry.

Hitsville's Best Games of 2013: The Last Of Us [on Hitsville]

Launching a game towards the end of a generation’s cycle is often a very risky move. See, gamers are often fickle creatures; they want what’s new and, if it’s pretty close, they’re not so likely to give a shit what’s immediately in front of them, instead choosing to look right through it to whatever it is they can barely see on the horizon, that new shiny beacon. The end of a console’s cycle is usually reserved for those games that companies want to sell double the number of, by releasing it on the old generation and then again on the new, or pieces of crap they want to get out without anyone making a big hoo-ha about how bad it is. Leave it to Naughty Dog, then, to buck all trends going and make one of the most emotionally rich, exciting, heart-pounding, and investing video games of the year, nay, of this generation.

Naughty Dog have, since the mid-90s, been about delivering some of the more memorable platforming games. From Crash Bandicoot, to Jak & Daxter, to, heck, even Uncharted in a way, they’ve carved their path as the go to developer for fun, often pulpy, action games. The Uncharted series is the one that left a real mark in the gaming psyche. A mix of great level design, characters, and far-fetched storylines, every single instalment was just a blast to play; not stupid and mindless, but not exactly cerebral either, a lovely middle ground. So when word got out that Naughty Dog were creating a new IP set for release towards the end of the PS3’s cycle that was unlike anything they’d done before, there was some caution and hesitation. Why not just make a fourth Uncharted which could then be ported over to the PS4? But Naughty Dog wanted to take a risk, and it’s one that well and truly paid off for them.

Of course, on paper, The Last Of Us should succumb to every Hollywood cliché going, something Naughty Dog even cheekily acknowledged when hosting the UK launch of the game at a cinema also screening I Am Legend and The Road that same night. A tale of two survivors, Joel and Ellie who would be unlikely to get a long in any other situation, are thrust together by a series of twists and turns, including one of the most heartrending opening sequences which really lets you know things in this spore-filled world are completely fucked up. And so, it’s a credit to the writers and designers, as well as the stellar voice cast, to completely forego expectations and creates something that prefers subtlety and nuance to outright feeding you backstory and so-on with a silver spoon. Even the causes of the gorgeous apocalyptic scenes around you is not entirely clear, and the motivations behind why Joel and Ellie are travelling across the wasteland, which twist and turn as the story progresses, becomes more and more difficult to pinpoint. What begins as a simple trip to another city in order to deliver Ellie, whose blood could create a cure (huge throwbacks to Children of Men here), turns into two characters that begin to rely on one another to live. 

It’s a mature story told in an incredibly mature way. Videogame tropes usually mean that everything is outright explained to you, think the literally hours and hours of exposition that sit on the Metal Gear Solid series. Here, however, what isn’t said is often way more powerful that what is; a piece of information received with merely a facial expression. Gameplay wise, the game feels equally weighty. There’s no bounding around like a springbok on speed here, you’re instead limited by what an actual human can do. You’re constantly seeking ladders to reach higher places or planks of wood to cross gaps and it’s this that keeps the game grounded. Snapping an enemy’s neck is not a quick twist and you’re done deal, it’s a struggle; grotesque and drawn out as your enemy gurgles and spits. Punches are slow and often stupid, not fast and pretty. By choosing to scramble around the scenery, it feels a lot more immersive. Yet, while the idea of exploration and collecting everything in sight which is so ingrained in the gamer’s psyche works here, seeing as in a post-apocalyptic world you need to collect everything in sight to survive, the more game-y aspects do draw you out from the experience a little, particularly Joel’s “X-Ray” hearing. It’s something you’d expect from a game, but when the rest of the experience is so expertly realised, it becomes all the more obvious to spot the chink in the armour.

Still, The Last Of Us is a game that never treats its audience as anything but adults. It’s superbly paced, with emotional beats coming at almost perfect moments without feeling heavy handed or over-the-top. That giraffe scene, perhaps the one scene that will most stick in my memory, is an absolutely perfect breather, the quiet before the big storm that feels quite similar to the march of the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park. Everything here feels like it belongs, from the characters who have managed to survive be it due to their wiles or their strength, to the debris in the cities. It never really holds your hand, instead allowing you yourself to get your bearings and explore abandoned houses to understand more about the world. Most importantly, it feels like an AAA title actually deserving of its blockbuster status, with adverts on the side of buses and on TV.

The Last Of Us is essentially what video games have been trying to achieve since they matured into a storytelling medium. While individual parts have obviously been taken from other places, as a whole, it’s an extraordinary exploration through melancholic lows and the occasional high, a study of hope and loss, and proof enough that video games do have the potential to knock Hollywood’s crown. It’ll take a few more shoves, obviously, but The Last Of Us is a hell of a first push for that crown.

Hitsville's Best Films of 2013: The World's End [on Hitsville]

Making a film based around getting old friends back together to get well and truly blathered is always going to appeal to me. Every year, around Christmas time (usually Christmas Eve Eve), myself and a bunch of friends I went to college with descend on the town in which we met, don our fineries, and set off the same pub route we do every year (minus one pub this year which had to close down) with a quick stop at KFC on the way. It’s always nice to get back together seeing as I don’t get to see a few of them but once a year now that we’re all spread out across the UK. The Golden Mile, which takes centre stage in The World’s End, is a slightly more out-of-control pub crawl compared to ours, mainly due to the addition of robots that aren’t robots.

The World’s End sees the final chomp on the Cornetto Trilogy, the first two parts being the equally excellent Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, becoming that little bit of solid chocolate that forms at the bottom of the cone when you finish it off. With The World’s End, director Edgar Wright alongside Simon Pegg and Nick Frost have managed to gather together all their experiences from their previous works to create what might just be their most accomplished film to date. It might not be as funny as Shaun of the Dead or as action packed as Hot Fuzz, although it is packed through with both a load of laughs and action, but it feels like a natural end to the trilogy, a trilogy which could probably stand amongst the best trilogies in cinema, and a great display of their collective talents. It’s also a lot darker and emotionally rich than the previous two films which were more like genre-love letters, Shaun to horror and Hot Fuzz to action. Here, any references used were more in aiding of the sense of nostalgia the film presents, be that the mention of Aliens or the 90s indie rock/Britpop fuelled soundtrack, rather than out-and-out lend homage to something. Of course, it still has the feel of a Cornetto film but, taking the different path, allows it to bypass it becoming a ‘greatest hit’ parade and avoid seeming flat like a pint that’s been sat too long. Having said all that, it is basically a film about aliens taking over the earth, but it isn’t so much about that as it is the tale of school friends who have grown vastly apart and the tale of addiction, both drawing out extremely emotional scenes from its entire principal cast.

In particular, spotlight must be shone on Simon Pegg who tackles a character that would, in any other shoes, be completely and utterly unlikeable. Pegg, in what is probably his best performance to date, turns Gary King into an obnoxious but equally fragile character so defined by his past and that “one great night” that he’s become trapped by nostalgia while the rest of his friends have grown up, succumbing to drink and drugs to numb the pain.  The rest of the supporting cast, containing many of Britain’s most overlooked yet brilliant actors including Paddy Considine, Martin Freeman, Eddie Marsan, Nick Frost, and Rosamund Pike, are all as equally brilliant as those dragged along on King’s trip to try to finish the Golden Mile. Even with all the craziness and Cornetto Trilogy/Spaced alumni popping up amongst the little in-jokes for fans, it’s these characters that keeps the story grounded which sounds ridiculous on paper but in practise works beautifully.

As well as being emotionally rich, it’s incredibly action packed. It’s here where Edgar Wright’s work on Scott Pilgrim vs The World really shines. While the action in Shaun and Hot Fuzz wasn’t exactly bad, I mean, Hot Fuzz was inspired by the likes of Point Blank and Bad Boys, it’s the kinetic energy and exciting whip-pans that makes The World’s End stand out; a by-product of the type of frenzied action seen in Scott Pilgrim. The Beehive fight scene, which features Pegg fighting one handed while trying to keep hold of his pint, or the toilet brawl the kicks the whole thing up a gear are incredibly memorable and probably up there as the best fight scenes of 2013. It’s exciting and furious while also being very funny; not an easy feat.

It even manages to take a stab at the gentrification of pub culture; as Paddy Considine’s Steven called it, “Starbucking”. It’s clear that this is the product of people who love every aspect of both pub culture and sci-fi, not exactly two things that would appear to go together but do, extraordinarily well. It’s a fitting end to one of the most passionately produced trilogies in film. Time, gentlemen, please. Down your pints and stumble on home.

Captain Phillips

If you give any real world event to Paul Greengrass, the end result is not going to be all cuddles and smiles. His most famous ventures into the real world, Bloody Sunday and United 93, were both bereft of Hollywood fluff, giving them a gritty and often emotionally jarring edge, and keeping audiences invested – often on the edge of their seats – in spite of knowing what the exact outcome will be. Greengrass is not one to pull punches and, although his work on the Bourne series showed he has the chops to shoot high octane action, he seems more in his comfort zone when deftly handling both the big screen thrills and meticulously explored emotional conflicts, which United 93 did so well. His most recent film, Captain Phillips, sits very comfortably with its critically acclaimed brothers.

Adapted from the real Captain Richard Phillips’ account of the hijacking of the Maersk Alabama by Somali pirates in 2009, Captain Phillips is a tense, claustrophobic re-telling of the events in an almost documentarian fashion, much in the same way as United 93. As the Somali pirates board the ship with the plan to ransom it and its crew to the insurance company in order to get themselves a huge payday, the wide open seas suddenly feel very cramped; there’s all the Indian Ocean around them but the crew are stuck hiding down in the engine room. While Phillips gives the pirates a “tour” of the ship, the tension ramps up akin to the last half an hour of Argo as Ben Affleck’s Tony Mendez attempts to get the US diplomats through security and out of Iran. The tension doesn’t really let go, from the moment the pirates appear in the skiffs as dots on both the horizon and the radar screen to the last few seconds.

With Billy Ray – of the excellent Shattered Glass and Breach fame – at the writing helm, there’s not an ounce of Hollywood cliché here, and all the more for it. There are no shots of the family of the crew worriedly checking the radio and TV for news of the incident as would be typical in such a film, and this lack of flashiness is to its benefit; keeping most of the film in a bubble around the Maersk Alabama and, later, its pirate-commandeered lifeboat.

Even Tom Hanks, the only piece of star casting in the film – although that may change as Barkhad Abdi’s role as pirate captain Muse looks to be a breakout one – as the eponymous Richard Phillips, throws himself into a character who is simply a ‘by-the-books’ type of guy, practical and meticulous in the running of his ship, thrust into an extreme situation. Yet there is such emotional depth within that practicality in Hanks’ performance that it’s hard not to throw praise at his feet, particularly in the final moments of the film in which Phillips is overcome by the situation and breaks down. This is a man with around 30 years in the film industry, and he’s only getting better.

Phillips’ beauty as a character is that he isn’t a hero. He’s an ordinary man, granted he probably has more metal than anybody else to ensure the safety of both the ship and its crew, just doing everything he was told to do if such a situation were to arise. He improves where he can, tricking the pirates into thinking helicopters are on their way or by firing flares at the boat, but he’s no Superman. Nor are the Navy who come to rescue him portrayed as guardian angels. Similarly, the pirates aren’t quite villains; things aren’t quite as clear cut as that. Muse and his fellow pirates are barely men yet this is the only life they know. Abdi and his supporting Somalian cast mates, all of whom make their cinematic debut here, play the pirates with such emotion that it’s easy to find yourself rooting for the pirates, particularly when the might of the Navy comes crashing down upon them as their plan goes to pieces around them. The exchange between Phillips and Muse about how there is no better life for the pirates, as two vastly different economic and generational cultures collide, comes off as completely sincere where it could come off as overly sentimental; a testament to how great Hanks and Abdi are in their roles.

Where many others might play this story as a schlocky action thriller, no doubt taking liberties with the story in the process, Greengrass has delivered an emotionally complex, yet no less tense, thriller with star performances from both the seasoned Hanks and the rookie Abdi. It’s proof enough that a thriller can be packed with action but also intelligence and emotion that doesn’t feel overly sentimental. A difficult task for any other director but, put in the hands of Greengrass, it’s another well-earned notch on his belt proving this really is what he does best.

Top 50 tracks of 2013

I've enjoyed a lot of music in 2013. It was probably a little bit easier to pick 50 tracks that have really made an impact on me this year than albums, mainly due to the wealth of great tracks on offer. Instead of trying to put my favourite tracks of 2013 into any sort of uniform order, which would've been near impossible, I've just decided to place them in alphabetical order for your viewing and listening pleasure. A lot of these tracks also had my favourite music videos of the year attached to them, so they're well worth a watch. See all 50 tracks below the break!

Top 30 Albums of 2013

Trying to compile the top albums of 2013 has probably been a lot more difficult than top album lists of previous years. Firstly trying to narrow it down to just 30 when 2013 has been chock with fantastic albums that have resonated with me is a task in itself. There are probably plenty of albums that I have forgotten to include but that would be equally worthy of being somewhere on the list. Secondly trying to figure out an order for the 30 is difficult and, no doubt, I will end up changing my mind at some point in the future as to the order I've put them in. Either way, 2013 has been great for brilliant albums and here my Top 30 (that I've not forgotten about. Sorry all those I loved but that have slipped my mind!)

30. Connan Mockasin - Caramel

The New Zealand folkster’s second album is a real batty affair, which is why it’s so easy to fall in love with it. Mockasin has always been a bit ‘off-kilter’ and it’s proudly displayed here, on an album influenced by classic soul. With smooth rhythms and beautifully intricate guitars juxtaposed with his often screechy vocals, it’s a mix that on paper shouldn’t work at all but, in practise, brings a really interesting alternative to the bass and baritone vocalists that dominate soul. It’s different and it’s proud to wave that freak flag high.

29. AlunaGeorge – Body Music

While AlunaGeorge have put out some incredibly catchy singles in the last year and a bit that have found their way burrowing into my brain and refusing to leave, their debut album, Body Music, failed to strike that same chord with me. While the tracks, on their own, are fantastic, with brilliant production from George Reid and the saccharine R&B vocals of Aluna Francis, the album didn’t feel much like an album, more like a ‘Greatest Hits’, not really giving us anything new but still packed full of great tracks.

28. Autre Ne Veut - Anxiety

Anxiety is an album that, admittedly, I wasn’t too keen on. But after repeated listens, something struck. It’s a very distinct album, with a strong sense of personality. Laced with exciting and slick production, it’s an ultimately pop-centric album that feels much rawer and interesting than something likely to hit the mainstream charts yet retains that accessibility of pop.

27. Franz Ferdinand – Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Actions

The fourth album from the Scottish foursome (even if only one of them was actually born in Scotland) is a return to the Talking Heads-esque, disco influenced rock that made their self-titled debut album so exciting. With production from Todd Terje, and Joe Goddard/Alexis Taylor of Hot Chip, everything bounds along with energy and charm. While Tonight didn’t really have that usual punch, Right Thoughts sees the band getting right back into the swing of things with great aplomb.

26. Kanye West – Yeezus

 

Yeezus is incredibly exciting and, upon its release, felt like a breath of fresh air in the mainstream. Kanye was beginning to use his star status to try something different, something challenging, instead of pandering to the whims of the charts. When it worked, it really worked. ‘Black Skinhead’ and ‘New Slaves’ felt like powerhouses. But in amongst all these great bits of genius were some real clunkers that really lets the record down as a whole. On the strength of those few incredible tracks and the balls it took for Kanye to release something as different as this, though, it definitely deserves a place.

25. David Bowie – The Next Day

2013 saw David Bowie completely misunderstand birthdays. Instead of us giving him a gift on his 66^th birthday, he gave us the gift of his first single, ‘Where Are We Now?’ since around 2004. Admittedly, it wasn’t the best, a track that would’ve just been seen as OK at any other point is career (apart from Tin Machine era, because then it would’ve been a fucking masterpiece compared to that drivel). Luckily, the rest of the album surrounding it felt like an incredible tour through the career of Bowie. Shades of Ziggy here, splashes of Berlin era there, it didn’t feel like the record of a 66 year old man, it felt as fresh and young as his best work in the 70s. The Next Day is a comeback that, in a year full of comebacks, actually managed to work out extremely well.

24. Foals – Holy Fire

If ever there was a band who have proved, in 2013, that they have matured, it’s Foals. Moving from the art school pretention of 2008’s Antitdotes, to 2010’s rather all over the place Total Life Forever, to Holy Fire, it’s difficult to hear that same fresh faced band that sent NME into a tizzy way back when. Holy Fire feels like an incredibly confident third album; singles ‘Inhaler’ and ‘My Number’ confirming that they do indeed deserve those big festival billings. It’s brassy, interesting, and feels like the product of years of getting things right but also getting things wrong, learning along the way and evolving into a more assured product.

23. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Push The Sky Away

After a brief detour into the more garage rock area that caused Mick Harvey to leave the band, Push The Sky Away sees Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds returning to the more melancholic and intricate songs they do so well. The stars of the show here, as always, are the lyrics, wrestling everything from love, death, and pop culture, all brought to life by Nick Cave’s gravelly vocals, which ride at the forefront of the bubbling rhythms. It’s not the most accessible Bad Seeds album but it’s a great example of what they do best, polished with a nice cinematic feel.

22. A$AP Rocky – Long. Live. A$AP.

With the usual names you might expect from someone making a real scene in the hip hop game, and some you definitely wouldn’t expect, Long Live A$AP has a list of collaborators longer than your arm. They all assist A$AP in creating one of the most diverse hip hop albums of the year, deftly able to flick between styles with relative ease. Even when he falls short, lyrically, the track is usually saved by some fantastic production. It feels like an excellent exploration into the vast array of things that influence A$AP’s style and a confident debut from someone sure to make waves.

21. Ghostpoet – Some Say I So I Say Light

Some Say I So I Say Light is an album with a very distinct sense of time and place. With a surreal, dreamy quality to it, Ghostpoet’s second album is one designed for that last bus home. Contemplative and nocturnal, Ghostpoet’s flow, while reminiscent of Roots Manuva’s, is a lot dreamier, with sentences seeming to blend into one, adding to that mysterious, sleepy quality. While his lyrics might not as sharp and exciting as on the Mercury nominated Peanut Butter Blues & Melancholy Jam, it’s the eerie production so suited for the night time that makes Some Say I such an interesting listen.

20. Blood Orange – Cupid Deluxe

Dev Hynes is a man that goes by many names. Having wet his feet in the utterly ridiculous but brilliantly anarchic Test Icicles, he moved to the opposite end of the spectrum with the folky Lightspeed Champion. Blood Orange sees him sit more a in the pop area of things. Cupid Deluxe all sees him getting help from a couple of friends including Friends’ Samantha Urbani and Chairlift’s Caroline Polachek, each adding their own distinct mark to the album. It’s a very open and obvious record about love, with nothing hidden behind metaphors, particularly on those in which he shares vocal duties with girlfriend Urbani. It’s funky, full of crooning and sexy brass, and might just be the best album he’s ever had a hand in. Until this MKS album lands anyway…

19. Public Service Broadcasting – Inform Educate Entertain

An album almost entirely comprised of samples from old British propaganda/public information films is not one I would’ve expected to be putting in this list when 2013 began. And yet it works so well. Accompanied by guitars, banjos, synths, various percussion instruments, the samples come to life. Of course, PBS seem to be less of a band and more of an idea, making it quite difficult for them to move forwards without becoming repetitive. For now, however, Inform Educate Entertain provides us with something entirely new and very interesting, a sort of history lesson through music.

18. Factory Floor – Factory Floor

 

Factory Floor’s debut has been one fans have been waiting for for what seems like years and years. Luckily, the wait seems to be worth it. Their self-titled debut is a triumph in turning what is ostensibly noise into something that you can dance along to, getting lost in an almost hypnotic trance. What’s appealing about Factory Floor is that, despite ultimately being an electronic album, it’s one that feels very human albeit a little more polished than previous releases on their live sets. It feels more like they’re allowing us to listen in to them making a right noisy racket than it does an album, and this sense of exciting fun permeates the entire album.

17. Daughter – If You Leave

Daughter’s debut is a lesson in how to do wonderfully hypnotic and enchanting music. Although Elena Tonra’s lyrics do often seem to be ripped from a teenage girl’s diary, overwrought with clichés and unnecessary metaphors, it’s hard not to be taken away, especially thanks to her beautifully destructive vocals. If You Leave feels like the Death Cab for Cutie of old; it almost feels suffocating in the amount of emotions it throws at you, though it allows you time to catch your breath and ultimately gather some semblance of hope towards the end that everything is going to be OK.

16. Arcade Fire – Reflektor

Reflektor is the sign of a band trying not to get caught into a musical rut while also trying to shed any idea made by fans that they are gods. It’s an album that’s both self-reflective and iconoclastic, trying to figure out what it is they are wanting to do. As such, it’s a bit of a messy album. There are hints of disco all over the place, with the old Arcade Fire still bubbling beneath the surface, but it’s this mess that makes it quite endearing. It’s a step in a huge direction for the band and they haven’t done a half bad job at it. It’s not a masterpiece, and it’s certainly not perfect, but it’s a pleasure to listen to a band try to rediscover themselves and try something wildly different to what they’ve done before.

15. Pet Shop Boys – Electric

Who’d have thought that Pet Shop Boys would create one of the best dance records of 2013. After having split from their old label Parlophone, the synth duo decided to release their twelfth studio album on their own label. The result is the sound of them taking their old retro style into the future. Electric is an album that retains that feel of the old Pet Shop Boys while still being a modern dance record, something many thought they could no longer do. Electric also has the pleasure of being the only album that has Example on it in any way to feature on a Best Of list. This is Pet Shop Boys sounding like they give a shit once more, and they’re doing it in the most fist-pumping, dance floor filling way possible.

14. Jon Hopkins – Immunity

Nominated for the Mercury Music Prize in 2013, Immunity was pretty much the rank outsider. It’s not that it’s a difficult album, quite the opposite in fact; it’s mainly that, despite being everywhere, Jon Hopkins still isn’t much of a household name. But Immunity is by far one of the most interesting albums to be nominated. Full of warmth and emotion, it’s an album that needs to be listened to in full; the whole glorious hour. Each track blends into the next as if soundtracking a night out. First begins the excitement and anticipation, but also nervousness, for what the night may have in store then comes, in the form of the absolutely fantastic ‘Collider’ the night itself, slightly disorientating and bewildering, but utterly captivating. It’s easy to get drawn into Hopkins’ beautifully realised world and it’s quite difficult to leave.

13. CHVRCHES – The Bones Of What You Believe 

In a year pretty sparse of dark but incredibly catchy and accessible synth-pop, CHVRCHES were the shining beacon of the year, stylised name and all. With a heavy Depeche Mode influence riding at the top of everything, but utilising the more modern technology available to them, it became an album that has been near the top of my mind this year. With repeat listens, it grew and grew and became even more infectious with every listen. Packed full of joyously dark tunes, led by Lauren Mayberry’s delightfully sweet vocals, The Bones of What You Believe was an album that just sticks.

12. Rhye – Woman

 

Rhye began by shrouding themselves in anonymity, sending the blogosphere into a fury because they love that kind of shit. With some utterly stunning tracks under their belt, reminiscent of Sade, they pulled down the curtain and released Woman, a superbly hypnotic exploration and love and sex without the need for over sexualisation. Here, both topics are treated in an incredibly mature and disarmingly honest way. Michael Milosh’s falsetto coos its way through Robin Hannibal’s superb production, both being surprisingly intimate with a hint of shyness. It’s an endearing debut that is incredibly hard not to fall in love with.

11. Lizzo – Lizzobangers

Lizzo has already made a splash in Minneapolis but, until now, has stayed very much within that scene. Lizzobangers is probably the best introduction anyone could need to what she is about. As with A$AP Rocky, Lizzo is able to change styles seamlessly between tracks depending on the topic and the production on hand yet, unlike Rocky, her lyrics hit the mark nearly every time as opposed to some of the time. It’s honest, exciting, and more often than not raucous as hell.  She has a command over language that never ceases to impress and, put over some extremely tight beats, it flourishes into something spectacular. The only album with "bangers" somewhere in the title you should care about!

10. Sky Ferreira – Night Time, My Time

Had the rest of the album been terrible, I still would’ve been tempted to put this album on this list anyway, just for the absolutely incredible ‘You’re Not The One’. Luckily, the rest of the album is pretty brilliant too, although never quite reaches that high (it is a pretty big high though!). Night Time, My Time is Ferreira finally discovering what her voice is, and she’s done it some style. Previous tracks and EPs have always felt a bit off to me, but here every single track seems to work excellently at portraying the real Ferreira; one that isn’t perfect and has plenty of faults. It’s a confident and defiant album with one of the best pop singles of 2013 on board.

9. Julia Holter – Loud City Song

Whereas Holter’s breakthrough album, Ekstasis, was an incredible album, it was also not the easiest to get into. Loud City Song has a real pop feel to it without sacrificing the eccentricities behind Holter’s work that makes it extremely accessible yet still distinctly her voice. Adding a band to the proceedings allows the California Institute of Art graduate to play around with things a little more, adding more jazz like elements which she, on her own, could not provide. It’s still “weird” and outlandish, but it’s wild, exciting, and oddly beautiful, like an otherworldly circus.

8. Beyoncé – Beyoncé

 

It’s almost a blessing that it took me so long to get around to compiling my Best of list. While all those publications had sent their copy off to be printed, Beyonce decided to make an ordinary Friday morning something spectacular by dropping this self-titled piece of brilliance without any warning whatsoever. I didn’t want to make a snap judgement on how great it was but, after letting it sink in over the past few weeks, I’m still completely in love with this album. It’s raw, it’s fierce, it’s Beyonce not giving a shit. It feels like an album made for her, rather than pandering to anyone else. A statement to pop music that she has still got it and can produce a wildly exciting and altogether varied collection of tracks.

7. Chance The Rapper – Acid Rap

2013 is the year in which Chance really made himself known. Acid Rap is quite easily the most fun and exciting hip-hop to come out of 2013, and, probably, to come out of Chicago since Kanye West’s College Dropout. Every track sees Chance pushing himself to the limits, trying something new, testing himself, and showing that he definitely does have the talent. Just 2 years out of high school, released by himself for free with no label support, this is what this young Chicagoan has produced. It’s an album/mixtape inspired by Chicago, both the good and the bad, and by youth, but also the frailties of it. There’s no messing around here. As with Kendrick Lamar’s Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City, Chance has a very clear persona that shines through here, creating a transparency that draws you in. This is clearly just the start for Chance.

6. The National – Trouble Will Find Me

While the album as a whole feels a little longer than it should, mainly the fault of the congestion of the slower tracks all in the second half of the album, Trouble Will Find Me is still yet another stunning collection of melancholic rock tunes from one of the most well-dressed bands of the moment. It’s the sound of a band who are trying to get used to their move from being that cult band that everyone used to talk about to prove they’re ahead of the curve to a band that is really hitting the big time, and deservedly so. It’s awkward and a tad clunky but tracks such as ‘Pink Rabbits’ and ‘Humiliation’ are just utterly beautiful in their melancholy. The energy might be turned down a little from High Violet but the beauty is definitely still there. 

5. Arctic Monkeys – AM

AM is a strange mix of hip-hop influences, the LA sun, and the darker side of the Sheffield lads. Like Foals, it’s hard to even imagine that these are the same fresh faced boys who were once writing songs about getting chucked out of clubs or trying to get a taxi home at 4am. It’s not as wildly different as it might sound, but it’s an album that is a definite thrill to listen to each and every time. It’s a bit saucy, retaining that cheek of Whatever People Say I Am, mixing in a more Velvet Underground style; something rooted a little bit in nostalgia that wears its influences on its sleeve whilst being distinctively Arctic Monkeys. While the previous two albums felt like they were taking themselves too seriously, dipping into pretensions that didn’t feel like them, AM goes back to the fun-loving, easy going Arctic Monkeys we fell in love with so long ago, except now they’re sunning themselves in LA.

4. Disclosure – Settle

 

Disclosure brought with them a debate of where they actually fit, genre wise. Are they deep house? What even is deep house? Are they garage? My only comment on this debate is who cares, when they’re producing such fantastic dance music. Clearly influenced by house and 90s garage, Settle is one of the best dance records of the year. The album has a whos-who list of exciting collaborators, yet these big names, including Jamie Woon and Jessie Ware, never manage to overshadow the two brothers. Instead, these names manage to weave themselves seamlessly into the overall fabric of the album. 2013 has generally been a year of intelligent dance music, be that hitting the mainstream or sticking to the underground. Disclosure have been the finest example of this, providing tracks that can not only work perfectly on any dancefloor in any club, but also on the radio.

3. Darkside – Psychic

 

Psychic feels like something completely otherworldly. The entire album feels like you’re falling into a dream; a minimalist, futuristic dream directed by David Lynch and scripted by Haruki Murakami. It sounds completely pretentious, and in most respects it is, but it’s an album that makes you want to accept that pretention and just dive in, head first, to explore everything on offer. It’s definitely not one to stick on in the background, it really shines when you fully pay attention to what is on offer, but when you do explore it, it’s incredibly rewarding with so much to love and respect that it’s easy to overlook that it’s really just Nicolas Jaar and Dave Harrington showing off a bit, though they definitely have a right to.

2. HAIM – Days Are Gone

I know a fair number of people that don’t like HAIM, and I find it terribly difficult to understand why. Sure, they’re not all that original; feeling like a blend of Destiny’s Child and Fleetwood Mac, but there’s something undeniably refreshing about a band like this making it big in the pop charts. To each their own, I suppose. Siblings brought up on rock and roll, while also living as kids through the heady days of 90s pop, Days Are Gone feels like a mission statement to what HAIM are all about. It’s slick, it’s fun, it is pop, but with the intricacies of, say, Fleetwood Mac’s Tango In The Night. The enthusiasm and the sassiness rub off on you extremely easily. It’s definitely not the most revolutionary album of the year but, my goodness, if I didn’t have a lot of fun listening to this album.

1. Janelle Monae – The Electric Lady

With The Electric Lady, the third release in her Metropolis inspired series, Janelle Monae has undoubtedly secured her rightful place as the current Queen of Pop. The album is jam packed full of different styles, yet each one is done to such perfection that it’s impossible to not sit there, slack jawed, wondering how the hell she actually did this. Actually, that’s a lie. Listening to The Electric Lady, it’s actually impossible to sit still enough to do that, each track just making you want to boogie, or sway, or just generally move your body. From the extraordinarily smooth ‘Primetime’ to the explosively sassy ‘Q.U.E.E.N.’, there will be at least one track everyone will love, if not several. It’s whip-smart, it’s exciting, it’s original, and it’s exactly what pop should be. Plus, it also has one of the most gorgeous pieces of album art in a long while courtesy of one of my favourite pop culture artists, Sam Spratt. Janelle Monae continues to surprise even though, by now, I should know that anything with her stamp of approval on it is going to be brilliant. Music needs more Janelle Monaes.

Best TV of 2013

2013, it’s fair to say, has probably been a banner year for TV. Be that new shows making their way to our screens and into our hearts, or those we have loved dearly either getting better or beginning to wind down, 2013 was a year in which it’s been pretty easy to be excited by TV. Channel 4 decided to really get back to its rebellious roots as the ‘alternative’ by making some pretty risky moves, some of which paid of greatly (like airing the first fully subtitled drama on the Big 5 in The Returned or the fantastically beautiful Utopia which doesn't feature on this list but I loved greatly), some of which didn’t work at all, coming off more as a cheap stunt to raise controversy (let’s just forget the completely baffling Sex Box ever happened, OK?). 2013 also saw the rise and rise of Netflix, not just as an on-demand platform but as, in a way, its own little network, being the platform which aired David Fincher’s US remake of House of Cards when nobody else wanted it, as well as the fourth season of Arrested Development and the utterly fantastic Orange is the New Black. It also saw a number of fantastic sitcoms come to a close. 30 Rock and The Office finished their often sketchy but still brilliant runs on their own terms, wrapping up everything they could think of in ways that were pretty much perfect for those shows. Happy Endings and Bunheads, on the other hand, didn’t quite get the endings they deserved, particularly Bunheads which finally had the axe drop after months and months of waiting to hear news of whether or not it was to be renewed. Luckily, as those shows exit our screens, the likes of Brooklyn 99 are preparing to replace them on the throne in 2014. Without further ado, here are some of my highlights of TV in 2013, although I have taken some liberties here because I don’t follow no stinking rules!

10. Veep
Veep had a pretty good year by all accounts, in particular allowing Tony Hale to finally nab that Emmy he has been so deserving of for years. 2013 saw Vice President Selina Meyer and her staff thrown into the forefront of things. Whilst before she’s always been more of a figure than an actual presence in this fictional world of politics, too tangled up by bureaucracy to make an impact, here they're thrust right into scandals and front page news stories. This allowed Armando Iannucci to really let fly with the bewilderingly imaginative insults Veep and The Thick of It are so well known for while injecting a real burst of energy as the staff try to sort out these monumental fuck-ups. The season two finale, ‘DC’, sees the political winds changing every second, causing the entire staff to go into a frenzy, scrambling to find out what exactly is going on, in turn bringing the best out of this fantastic ensemble cast.

9. Orphan Black
Whilst BBC America is usually just a channel for airing BBC produced shows in the US, it does occasionally create its own original content. Orphan Black is the one that made a big splash in 2013, and it's all down to Tatiana Maslany in what is sure to be her breakout role/roles. The premise is utterly farfetched, there's no denying it, as outcast Sarah Manning discovers she is just one of many clones who are now being hunted down. Teaming up with the remaining clones, Sarah and herselves attempt to find out who is behind everything while trying to keep their own personal lives in tact. It's the performances of Maslany as every single clone that really sells Orphan Black, with each one having an entirely different persona: housewife, cop, science student, criminal. She manages to slip into each iteration with absolute ease, each one played with their little idiosyncrasies. Several of the best performances of the year all happen to come from one person in the same show. It becomes obvious that, without this central performance, Orphan Black could quite easily collapse in on itself as utterly cheesy. Thank goodness we have Tatiana Maslany then!

8. Hannibal
Bryan Fuller is no stranger to writing shows about death. His two biggest hits, Dead Like Me and Pushing Daises, tackled the issue of mortality in a light and often cartoonish way, to the point where the popping colours and fantastical set design of Pushing Daisies seem to be ripped straight from an actual Saturday morning cartoon. Hannibal, a prequel to the Hannibal Lecter stories set before his incarceration, is a lot, lot darker and yet it still retains that beauty, albeit a very morbid one. A disconcerting mood permeates even the most innocent-appearing scenes and everything is produced with such care and effort. With star performances from Hugh Dancy and Mads Mikkelsen, Hannibal is visually sumptuous and extraordinarily creepy, managing to avoid being a cheap cash-in for the franchise.

7. Dates
At the start of Summer, Channel 4 hosted the oddly named "Mating Season". A season of television based around the world of dating that, despite its awful name, it did manage to produce two of my favourite shows of 2013 (more on the other later). The first of these is Dates, created by Skins co-creator Bryan Elsley. Focusing on a series of dates set up on a online, Dates felt like the romantic equivalent of 1999's Tube Tales. Each episode saw a different couple go about their dates with, usually disastrous results, while the story of Oona Chaplin's Mia weaved its way through the series. The greatness of Dates is derived from both its realism, each one feels extremely naturalistic and not overly fantastical, and its super cast, made up of exciting and brilliant British and Irish actors, some well known and some up-and-coming. Each episode was superbly written with near perfect casting to compliment the characters; a masterpiece in original British drama which had that same freshness that Skins did when it was introduced to our screens way back in 2007.

6. Bob's Burgers
2013 was the year I discovered Bob's Burgers and I'm almost ashamed that it took me this long to get around to it. It feels like a nice replacement for those disappointed by the route The Simpsons has been taking in recent years. Despite its status as a cartoon, Bob's Burgers features one of the most realistic families on television today. Each character is so perfectly realised, doing away with the standard tropes you'd associate with each member of the family in your standard sitcom in order to actually tackle the struggles and dreams of each character rather deftly. The confusion and mixed emotions of being a teenager are wonderfully portrayed in Tina, the oldest child, who wants nothing more than to be seen as one of the adults while Louise, the youngest, tackles growing up and beginning to fancy boys. Though they often appear at one another's throats, the Belchers are a family who absolutely adore one another and, when the chips are down, protect each other with their lives. It's a heartwarming show that is constantly hilarious (one episode features Gene becoming friends with a talking toilet) with a wide array of brilliantly quirky characters, such as Teddy, that surprisingly never stray into the fantastical. It only seems to be getting better and better.

5. Fly on the wall documentaries
2013 managed to be a year packed full of really interesting fly on the wall documentaries that sound absolutely terrible on paper, most thanks to Channel 4. A one-off look at the day to day life in a Fried Chicken Shop that aired last year managed to get a full series this year and retained what made that one-off documentary so surprisingly good, taking a completely uncynical look at the vast array of characters that just really wanted some fried chicken and showing these often completely opposite people crossing paths and interacting which made for often extremely heartwarming viewing. Gogglebox, which features members of the ordinary public just watching TV is probably the worst sounding of the lot but, yet again, made for absolutely delightful viewing that often left me with a stupidly big grin on my face. It sounds cliched to say but, after a while, you begin to feel like you know these families and what makes them tick, to the point where watching retired teachers Leon and June, a couple that are clearly madly in love even if they're usually having a go at one another, discussing their own mortality brought tears to many eyes. It's probably also impossible to have got through 2013 without hearing someone talk about Educating Yorkshire, in particular that moment in which Mr Burton knicks an idea from The King's Speech to help Musharaf overcome his stammer. It really was one of those punching the air kind of moments which you'd only see in fiction. Yet here it was, occurring at a high school in Dewsbury. The whole show captured imaginations and raised public opinions of teachers and schools at a time when the education system is coming under fire.

4. Game of Thrones
Before you say anything, this is not just an excuse to use yet another photo of Oona Chaplin. Nope. Not at all. This year saw Game of Thrones tackling The Red Wedding, proof that George RR Martin really does like torturing both his characters and his audience. Any other author would place such a shockingly horrific twist at the end of the book. Not Martin, instead choosing to chuck it in when everything seemed to be going fine and dandy, with absolutely no warning of this horrifically violent wedding. HBO's adaptation deftly handled this scene which led to a whole other generation of Game of Thrones fans who hadn't read the books to have exactly the same shocked and beffudled reactions as those had read the books the first time they got to that chapter. While a lot of emphasis is placed on 'Rains of Castemere' as the stand out episode of this season, 2013 also saw Daenerys actually get to do something and become completely and utterly badass, and the almost buddy-comedy tales of Brienne and Jaime. With a lot more shocks in store for fans of the series, the year long wait between seasons wasn't exactly made easier by yet another stellar effort.

3. The Returned
Channel 4 took a hell of a risk this year in airing The Returned, a French drama about a town in which the dead start coming back to life. Subtitled dramas have always been the reserve of BBC4, aimed more at the high brow audiences who don't mind having to read along as they watch. It's fair to say that how well The Returned would do on a mainstream channel was anyone's guess. Luckily for us, The Returned is probably one of the most wonderfully intriguing shows to air this year. Focusing on how the families of the deceased react to the return of their beloveds, it became easy to forget this was, ultimately, a fantasy drama. The writing was on another level, deftly portraying the emotions of both the deceased and those alive as they tried to cope with what is happening. Even so, there was that fantasy element weaving its way in and out of the series which always remained intriguing, whether it was trying to figure out how these people had died, which were even dead in the first place, and why they were brought back. The finale brought us more questions than it did answers but I, for one, am extremely excited to see how the series progresses, if not just to hear more of the superb Mogwai soundtrack.

2. Breaking Bad
And with that, 2013 brought us the final few episodes of this superb drama and left us all in a slump once it was done. The final half season of Breaking Bad contained some of the best, most tightly written and directed episodes this show has ever produced, and, in some cases, some of the best episodes of television full stop. Each episode brought a new theory as to how Vince Gilligan et al were going to bring it to a close and each episode ramped things up even further, stand out 'Ozymandias' showing us that anything could happen and will happen, and that no-one is safe as Walter White's empire begins to truly fall apart. It has been an absolute treat watching Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul as Walter White and Jesse Pinkman transform both as their actors and as actors over the course of the show. While it might not have the extreme detail of The Wire, Breaking Bad still had some superb writing and acting that pushed it into the zenith of great TV. Emotionally dense, riveting, and often times absolutely stunning, Breaking Bad really made a mark on 2013 and probably on TV forever more. You might not want to marathon the final season, however. The tension of each episode on their own, with a week to calm down, was enough for me; I can't imagine how I might feel after watching them all in one go.

1. Orange Is The New Black
While House of Cards was riveting stuff, with a superb performance from Kevin Spacey, and the new episodes of Arrested Development were great when you got used to what Mitchell Hurwitz was actually trying to do, Orange Is The New Black is the one Netflix original series that made a real impression on me. Funny, emotional, and loaded with great characters, it was so easy to just fall down that "just one more episode" hole of on-demand TV. It is those great characters that really makes Orange Is The New Black the stand out show of the year. Each one is treated with such care that, although Piper Chapman is our window into the world of a women's federal prison, no character really seems to take centre stage, with the spotlight shone on each pretty equally. It feels a lot like The Wire in this sense in that even the smallest character is fleshed out remarkably well and with as much attention of the likes of Alex or Red. Orange Is The New Black is quite easily the most enjoyable, interesting, and exciting show of 2013; one that, upon finishing it in about 2 days, I wanted to jump straight back into.