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Month: May 2021

Art for the soul: 2Bmcr

On returning from London to their hometown of Manchester, sisters Elsa Hingley-Knight (@elsaghk) and Sarah Hingley (@sazzsquatch) decided to combine their storytelling and design talents. The result is 2Bmcr, a small but mighty powerhouse of fun, bold, colourful designs featuring a range of anthropomorphised animals and fruits.

From the iconic Bitter Lemon and Lil’ Peach to ‘Fishbutt’ which, as you might have guessed, has the upper body of a fish and a peachy human bum – a winningly bizarre inversion of mermaid anatomy.

2bmcr @Instagram

The sisters have taken Instagram by storm and have a popular Etsy page, where admirers can purchase their signature characters on enamel pins, cards, handmade bumbags, self-help zines (feat. injunctions from Lil’ Peach to ‘Harness your sass’) and risograph prints (the latter made in Salford using sustainable vegetable inks). And having perused the online shop, I can honestly say that the sentence ‘Bittersweet Spring Existential Lemotional Art Print’ is now seared happily into my brain.

2Bmcr say that they aim to ‘make you smile, make you feel accounted for and hopefully, make your day a little better.’ In this, they have undoubtedly succeeded, and it should be no surprise that their brand has strongly resonated with people throughout each lockdown.

2bmcr @Instagram

Call it escapism, perhaps, but there is something genuinely mood-boosting about their deadpan existential humour. Consider their ‘Nothing Matters’ skateboarding dinosaur pin, cheerily marketed as ‘a nihilistic little pin perfect for our current times’. When we’re having to attach life-or-death significance to our decision to wash our hands, this is a comforting if still absurd statement.

2bmcr @Instagram

The enduring a-peel of Bitter Lemon

Their work certainly struck a cord with @rubymartinart who nominated them as part of our ‘art for the soul’ series:

“I first spotted this pair’s artwork on the mural outside the (sadly now closed down) Magma art shop in the Northern Quarter. Their brightly coloured fruits never fail to bring a smile to my face. I love a lot of their illustrations which are both funny and heart-warming, but as someone who spends too much time on social media, I particularly relate to the lemon trying really hard not to be bitter. This feeling was particularly relevant over lockdown (I’m looking at you, New Zealand…) and I am glad to now have that feeling immortalised in print form to keep me humble.”

2bmcr @Instagram

Befriend a Vibing Orange or a Tooting Strawberry at 2Bmcr’s Etsy shop.

Student businesses to follow #1: Accessories

Student businesses to follow is a three-part mini-series at the Mancunion Fashion & Beauty section which intends to highlight students that balance their uni work while also managing their own business. This first installment centers on three fabulous women who run their own accessories brands. 

NICHE BY T 

Niche by T earings and packaging
PHOTO: NICHE BY T

Niche by T is a jewelry brand created by Tanisha, a final-year business management student at UoM. “The name actually came from my dad when I was little as a play on my name”, she explains. 

Niche by T bracelet
PHOTO: NICHE BY T

“I have been obsessed with jewellery from a very young age and always loved the idea of creating my own jewellery but never had the courage to start because I feared others wouldn’t like it”. Having seen other small businesses emerge during lockdown, Tanisha took the leap.

Managing a business alongside studying at university has its challenges, especially during Covid. However, the brand allowed her to have a creative outlet which helped her mental health, and the positive feedback she gained from starting her brand also became a source of happiness. 

Niche by T earings
PHOTO: NICHE BY T

Tanisha donates a portion of her earnings towards different charities to help those who are hit the hardest by the pandemic.

She intends on producing more jewelry after she graduates.“In the future I’m hoping to continue to grow and develop, expanding my customer base. At the end of the day I just want to share my passion and have them enjoy my designs and creations”.

You can shop her gorgeous pieces on her Etsy and follow her on Instagram

OTTO + BEEB  

Otto and Beeb scrunchies
PHOTO: OTTO & BEEB

Lydia is a second-year PPE student at The University of Manchester. After making face masks for family and friends through lockdown, she started Otto and Beeb in August 2020 to allow her to develop her artistic activity alongside a rather formal course.

“The brand is named after my cat and a nickname my mum calls me”, she says. “I wanted to make reusable masks as the sight of disposable ones being dumped everywhere broke my heart, and, seeing as we were going to be in this for the long run, I thought reusable masks would be really useful while being a lot cuter!”.

She quickly went from only selling reusable face masks, to hand-making scrunchies, makeup bags, reusable face wipes as well (and there’s more to come!). 

Otto and Beeb reusable face masks
PHOTO: OTTO & BEEB

Although her mum helps her out, Lydia does everything by herself – from sourcing materials, designing and sewing, to packing and sending orders, customer service and running social media. “Branding and packaging are actually some of my favorite parts of running a small business. I just love experimenting with it!”.

Otto and Beeb scrunchies
PHOTO: OTTO & BEEB

O&B will definitely run at least until Lydia finishes her degree although she is unsure about the greater future of her brand. However, she truly cherishes her experience: “seeing something I created myself come to life and getting more and more orders was super exciting and really kept me going through this strange, up-and-down year”.

You can shop her products on Etsy and follow her on Instagram

LUNA LANE ACCESSORIES 

Luna Lane Accessories is the brand of final year law student Katie. Inspired by the growing number of businesses that aimed to close the gap between expensive sustainable brands and cheaper fast fashion, she decided to start her own eco-friendly accessory brand. While she currently specialises in scrunchies, she will soon launch some jewellery as well.

Luna Lane Accessories scrunchies
PHOTO: LUNA LANE ACCESSORIES

Katie always knew that she wanted her business to be as sustainable and eco-friendly as possible and researched this aspect a lot before starting although she does note that “learning about being eco-friendly is a constant process”. Her first scrunchies were actually made from upcycled fabric from some pillowcases!

She also donates 25% of her profits to UoM once a month, a student-led project which aims to reduce period poverty in Manchester. 

Luna Lane Accessories scrunchies
PHOTO: LUNA LANE ACCESSORIES

She started LLA during the first lockdown when she wanted something to focus on besides uni. Although Katie was concerned as to how she would manage a business in her final year, she found it less daunting than expected although she is grateful for her parents’ help and Natalie Kerrison’s lovely infographics that she designs for her feed. 

Luna Lane Accessories Jewellery
PHOTO: LUNA LANE ACCESSORIES

She is also excited to see how things change as restrictions ease and shops open up again: “Lockdowns have meant lots of screen time for us all, and this caused me to lean on technology to grow connections with other small businesses and customers and really learn about the world of e-commerce”. She is currently preparing her new launch for new eco-friendly packaging and a summer jewellery launch.

In the meantime, you can shop her scrunchies on her website and follow her on Instagram

The future of fast fashion after the coronavirus pandemic

The coronavirus pandemic has immensely affected us all. With its disruptive impact on consumer shopping, fashion and retail brands have suffered too. Not to mention consumer behaviour and financial circumstances. However, it has also been labelled as ‘fashion’s greatest reset’, and for good reason too.

The pandemic’s devastating effect on retail, combined with the continued growth of online shopping, has resulted in a massive list of store closures in the last year. We’ve seen lots of fast fashion giants like Gap, Zara, and Forever 21 in recession. Forced to close some of their stores to concentrate money on online sales strategies.

The pandemic has also resulted in an ongoing crisis for many fashion brands. Inditex (parent company of Zara) recently announced plans to close 1,000 to 1,200 stores over the next two years. H&M also revealed that they will shut 70% of their stores. Cosmetic brand Becca, owned by Estée Lauder, also announced its closure earlier in the year.

Diverting resources to online sales strategies can be very beneficial from a strategic viewpoint. Especially since the pandemic has created a huge opportunity for e-commerce development. Many customers have shifted their habits and now prefer online shopping. 53% of people said that the pandemic has permanently altered their buying habits. As a result, massive fast fashion brands like H&M were able survive in these challenging times. Not only that, they also lead the way in the fashion sector’s transformation.

The change in consumer demand has been another effect that the pandemic has had on the fashion industry. It demonstrated how financial, environmental, and human elements are all linked. As a consequence, there has been an increased awareness and demand for sustainability.

Masha Binger, the founder of the sustainability consulting company ESG Alpha, discussed how she now has a carefully selected capsule wardrobe consisting of well-made, multifunctional items. She is also more focused than ever on purchasing sustainably made products and buying less in general.

She isn’t alone in this sentiment. People all over the world are demanding social, environmental, and economic change. Binger believes it is clear that fashion companies must rethink their goals. They must also adjust to the new reality in a post-coronavirus world.

H&M, for example, have recently focused on launching sustainable and conscious garment collections. Anna Gedda, the Head of H&M’s Sustainability Department, foresees that the fast fashion industry’s landscape will look very different after the pandemic. Customers’ preferences and attitudes will shift, with purchasing even more dependent on their personal financial security issues. As a response, H&M is focused on providing sustainable goods and clothing. They are both affordable and accessible to a wide range of people.

As we’ve seen with H & M, the fast-fashion industry was heavily damaged by the COVID-19 pandemic. But at the same time, a digital phase progressed. It made online shopping a vital part of our lives. Additionally, the change in our views, desires, and even meaning has had a huge impact on our shopping habits. These shifting lifestyles and consumer preferences have had an effect on the industry. Some of the world’s most well-known fashion brands have adjusted their strategies by adopting sustainability initiatives.

This has led some to assume that Gen Z destroyed fast fashion, considering the rise in the number of people shopping secondhand in recent years, as well as the terrible impact of Covid-19 on the industry. The newfound popularity of apps like Vinted and Depop has also promoted this secondhand selling to new heights.

However, it can be assumed that other fast fashion brands will follow Covid-19’s lead and launch conscious and sustainable collections in their physical and online stores. More importantly, there is hope that these clothing lines will be affordable and accessible, allowing a wider range of customers to support these brands and increasing demand for the store indefinitely.

Little Suspicions – lockdown born, 60’s obssessed

Little Suspicions’ lifespan is just a year old. It is fair to say that the past year has been the most eventful in recent history, and for a young band to have formed and made it through all of the chaos is rather impressive. Despite these dramatic events, it is clear the band have bonded very closely.

Little Suspicions are from the Medway and clearly distinct themselves from calling themselves a London band, bassist, Craig Barden, tells me. By not tagging themselves as a London band, the band aren’t subservient to cliches that some southern bands use to make them sound appealing. 

The four-piece take their style and sound very seriously. Their latest single, ‘Limes’ is a wedge taken from the slice of 60’s soundscapes, a fit between Scott Walker and Lee Hazlewood with nods to west-coast psychedelia. The 60s isn’t the only thing present in ‘Limes’ with strong hints to the Last Shadow Puppets and Humbug era Arctic Monkeys. The band are very aware of the Shadow Puppets comparison, but they believe that’s quite an easy thing to do. 

“I’m not going to make [Moritz] sing it any differently just because it sounds a bit like something else.”

“We’re not just trying to be a recreation of the [Last] Shadow Puppets, we’re just trying to keep it our own thing. I agree that our first single [Wasting All My Time] was a bit more Turner than we would have liked, but it still sounded great. I’m not going to make [Moritz] sing it any differently just because it sounds a bit like something else. I don’t want to take that part of the performance away.” Joey says very openly. Craig adds “I think we just take bits from everywhere, like the 60s, 70s and even the 80s to create our own sound, not basically repeat things.      

Speaking in more depth about their sound, Joey says “it was guitarist Conor Toner who brought in the Scott Walker reference. He was the real force behind that and it has a really cool Morricone sound to it like something from a Spaghetti Western”. Craig adds “It is interesting that you pick up on the Lee Hazlewood influence. We’re massive fans of his, in particular the album he did with Nancy Sinatra (Some Velvet Morning).

“We talked to our mixer and said could you just Phil Spector it up please and he did a great job of it.”

We like that stuff because it created a wall of sound and it was all done in one take, which is quite incredible really. I think that is something we try to create. When you listen to it [Limes] the sound is very layered. Joey seconds that saying “We talked to our mixer and said could you just Phil Spector it up please and he did a great job of it.”    

These ferocious riffs, synchronised by harmonics, give “Limes” an alluring romanticism that takes the raw edge off, adding a layer of softness. The band’s love affair with the 60s is much more than the decade’s music. Style and fashion are apparent too. As the band joke about lead vocalist, the “B-Tec John Lennon” Moritz Meyns, who, to be tongue in cheek, has “ hair down to his knees”. Joey, jokes that “he gets that sort of thing all the time”.

Two singles, so far, comprise their catalogue; the decision to do single by single as opposed to an EP did raise an eyebrow. It’s always easier to sit and work on a single for a couple a months, get it mixed and get it out than to work on an album. Firstly, we’ll need a label who will help us out while we slug away for six months in a studio doing an album.

We’ve all got jobs, so the easiest way for us to work would be to release music in bitesize chunks. Craig follows up by saying: “We did singles first to learn about each other’s working styles and methods. I think we could apply that in future in an EP environment and it was different from my previous band where we did EPs all the time.

Regarding the success of “Limes” and the future, the Little Suspicions are insistent that more singles are the way forward. 

“To get people to listen to your album as a band starting out is difficult. If you do singles, you keep knocking on the door of the music industry. It’s like Hello, we’re here! 

“Limes” by Little Suspicions is available on Spotify here

Written by and submitted for Lewis Oxley

‘A colossal ray of sunshine’: Blossoms headline first mask-free live music event in Liverpool

History was made on Sunday 2nd May as 5,000 concertgoers gathered under the Big Top at Liverpool’s glorious Sefton Park. They were there to experience the UK’s first concert with no face masks and no social distancing in thirteen months. It is the third of three Pilot events held in Liverpool between April 30th and May 2nd as part of the Events Research Programme.

The previous two days saw Bramley Moore Dock Warehouse host club event Circus. Here, the likes of Fatboy Slim and The Blessed Madonna played to partygoers. However, this night was a celebration of live music from some of the finest acts in the north of England. The lineup included headliners Blossoms, who hail from Stockport, Liverpool’s very own Zuzu, and The Lathums from Wigan.

Energy was high as attendees piled in. They had to take a COVID-19 lateral flow test and complete a health questionnaire the previous day to be admitted. They will have to take another test 5 days after the show too. Other entry requirements included being registered with a GP in the Liverpool City Region and living in the region.

Photo: Sefton Park by Sarah Taylor

A surreal atmosphere in Liverpool

The smell of overpriced lager drifted through the Big Top and indie-rock anthems blared through the speakers in between sets. 5000 voices singing along to Arctic Monkeys and Pulp reverberated through the park, as they waited for the bands. Banners popped up every so often on the screens either side of the stage, giving people the option to wear a mask if they felt uncomfortable. But very few people did, as the vast majority relished the opportunity to get back to normality.

For the past 13 months, the COVID-19 pandemic has halted live music and club events. So for many young people in Liverpool, this was their first experience of a night out in the city. Students Nicky Scott and Joe Newman from Manchester, who moved to Liverpool to study said they were “gassed for their first proper night out”.

Blossoms fans Amy Judge and Sophie Whittle, both from Walton, Liverpool, expressed their excitement at being part of the event. Amy exclaimed she was “on cloud nine”. Sophie said she had “felt quite anxious before going in”. But once she got to the Big Top she “felt like everything was back to normal”.

“One small step for scousers…”

Scouse songstress Zuzu was first onstage and received a hero’s welcome as she began the set with ‘Get Off’. Dressed in leopard print and leather, and wielding a guitar, she commanded the crowd like a true rock star. “One small step for scousers…” she declared to resounding cheers. Blasting through a selection of her hits including ‘What You Want’ and ‘Skin and Bone’, Zuzu showed off her musical talent and charisma, asking: “Are you gonna dance with me?”. Before her final tune ‘All Good’, she emotionally exclaimed “This means everything to me”. Her charm clearly resonated with the audience. It is safe to say she will have gained an army of new fans that night.

Photo: Zuzu by Sarah Taylor

The Lathums were up next. Lead singer Alex Moore, in a fur coat, told concertgoers he had bought a new Telecaster just for the occasion. The Wigan band’s setlist of guitar-driven songs massively appealed to the energetic crowd. Halfway through, security were already handing out cups of water. Their slower-paced 2020 single ‘All My Life’ was a magical moment in the set, with Moore playing acoustic guitar solo. The crowd seemed to know all the words and girls on shoulders swayed their arms in time. “You’re a lovely bunch…it’s a nice first gig to come back to, this” he said, visibly moved. The electrifying Last Shadow Puppets-esque ‘Foolish Parley’ followed, sending the spectators back into a frenzy.

University of Liverpool student and The Lathums fan Megan Pinfield, originally from Birmingham, said she had “missed going to gigs”. She described the crowd as “pretty full on” but “exciting” to be part of.

The main act take to the stage

Anticipation built as people crowded around the stage for headliners Blossoms. The Stockport 5-piece opened with ‘Your Girlfriend’, the funky lead single from their latest album Foolish Loving Spaces. Frontman Tom Ogden exuded confidence, swaggering about the stage in a 70s-style suit and announcing: “You’re gonna have the best night you’ve had for a very long time”. Their set combined old favourites such as ‘Getaway’ and ‘Honey Sweet’ with their newer material, receiving rapturous applause.

Photo: Blossoms by Juana Churchill

Like many bands, Blossoms’ 2020 tour was cut short due to the pandemic. Later in the set, Ogden told the audience that the last gig the band played was also on a Sunday (in Bournemouth), before breaking into ‘Sunday Was a Friend of Mine’.

The group even added a Beatles cover to their set for the Liverpudlian audience, harmonising to ‘Paperback Writer’. In between songs, Ogden made sure to give a shout out to each individual band member, encouraging the audience to applaud their talents. Debut single ‘Blow’ went down a treat, with Ogden invoking the crowd to sing along to the final chorus acapella.

They then played ‘My Favourite Room’, with Ogden wielding an acoustic guitar and telling the attendees that tonight, Sefton Park’s Big Top is his “favourite room.” For this slower number, girls in the crowd could be seen balanced on their boyfriends’ shoulders and singing along. The band then left the stage and re-emerged moments later for an encore of ‘At Most a Kiss’ and their signature song, ‘Charlemagne’.

An unforgettable experience

“This has been a colossal ray of sunshine” Ogden declared to a room of cavorting concertgoers. And it truly was. I have to say, I didn’t realise how much I had missed sticky shoes and ringing ears until I got home. The hordes of happy faces leaving Sefton Park will never forget that night. I know I won’t.

10/10

Could Malaria Become a Problem of the Past?

An international team of researchers, including those from the University of Oxford and the Clinical Research Unit of Nanoro (CRUN), have released details of their new vaccine against malaria. Early trials of the new R21/Matrix-M vaccine have suggested a 77% efficacy rate in children.

The new vaccine, which is produced by the Serum Institute of India Private Ltd. with contributions by Novavax Inc., is exciting the global community. This is due to its high efficacy rate and its potential for large-scale manufacturing at a relatively low cost.

Beginning in 2019, double-blind trials studied 450 children from the area of Nanoro, Burkino Faso. The participants were all between the ages of 5-17 months and were given four injections of the vaccine. No significant side effects were reported after 12 months.

What is malaria?

Malaria is a disease spread by parasite-infected mosquitoes and is characterised by fever, headaches, and chills. Without treatment, it is often fatal.

Whilst it is both curable and preventable, the cost of treatment, medication, and mosquito nets is often unmanageable for the individuals and governments of the countries it most affects. In addition, malaria significantly impacts these countries financially, which contributes to a devastating vicious cycle.

According to UNICEF, a child under five dies of malaria dies every two minutes. This means that by the time you finish reading this article, another child will be lost forever. The disease has caused at least four times as many deaths as coronavirus in Africa this year, and yet it has taken many decades for an effective vaccine to be produced.

How does R21 compare to other vaccines?

Professor Adrian Hill, who leads the Oxford team at the Jenner Institute, has reported that the malarial research contributed significantly to the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine. However, this vaccine is much more complicated, as preventing malaria requires far more antigens.

Antigens are molecules that spark the body’s immune response, helping it to fight the disease. The COVID vaccine contains twelve, whilst the R21 vaccine contains over 5000. The complexity of the malarial parasite has been one of the most significant hindrances to past vaccine research.

What’s next?

Despite the encouraging results, the sample size of the trial was small. Plans are currently underway to expand the trials to 4800 children from 5 to 36 months across four African countries.

If successful, the effect that the vaccine would have is almost unimaginable. In 2019 alone, malaria caused an estimated 229 million clinical episodes and about 409,000 deaths. In the future, the vaccine could save millions of people, and completely change daily life in the predominantly poorer countries that malaria affects.

A revolution in global health is on the horizon.

POC around the block 7: Mr. Cozy

In this series, our columnist Anna Jin brings attention to the unique and talented people of colour working in fashion.

While many of us have endured the last year of lockdown by binge-watching Bridgerton and buying tracksuits, Manchester-based Mr. Cozy was eager to make an active change in the fashion industry.

As the owner of the streetwear label Cozybrvnd, he has spent the last year updating his business model in light of the pandemic. He now focuses less on making money, and more on creating meaningful pieces of clothing.

Two female models and two male models wearing the Cozybrvnd's newest streetwear collection in purple and black
Photo: Mo Dukali. Clothes and Styling: Cozybrvnd

Having previously lived in Nigeria and Spain, Mr. Cozy (who prefers to remain anonymous) is currently in his final year of studying Business Management at MMU.

Fashion has always been an interest of his, and he founded Cozybrvnd after some friends expressed interest in a hoodie that he had produced. As the brand’s name suggests, his garments promote comfort and feature casual pieces that are perfectly suited to working from home.

When the UK first went into lockdown more than a year ago, he said that he felt “blessed” to still be making money from the store. In fact, the brand’s ski masks were in high demand as face coverings became the norm throughout the world.

However, he was aware that many people were not so lucky during the pandemic. Therefore, he donated profits from his store to organisations supporting people who were struggling during the crisis, including UNICEF, Save the Children, and Homeless Aid UK.

Two female models wearing the cozybrvnd's newest streetwear garments in purple and black
Photo: Mo Dukali. Clothes and Styling: Cozybrvnd

The pandemic also prompted Mr. Cozy to reconsider how often he produces items. Before lockdown, he would normally drop two collections a year, but has now decided to slow down and create fewer pieces. Instead of following a schedule, he would rather release items throughout the year whenever inspiration hits.

A key event of the last year was the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement, as a result of the police killing of George Floyd. This event inspired Mr. Cozy to release a t-shirt and hoodie collection featuring the words “Stop Police Brutality” in support of the movement. He donated all profits from this collection to Gianna Floyd, daughter of George Floyd.

He also recently released a mini collection celebrating Black History Month, which was featured in GQ Magazine.

One female model and two black models wearing the cozybrvnd's newest collection of clothing in purple and black
Photo: Mo Dukali. Clothes and styling: Cozybrvnd

Mr. Cozy is largely inspired by music and Manchester, as well as paying homage to the likes of Ralph Lauren, Nike, and Jerry Lorenzo from Fear of God.

He has also played an important role in education about black history, as his collections featuring Martin Luther King and Malcolm X prompted customers to start researching these figures to learn more about them.

“I thought that people would know who they are and what they did because they are very famous people, but some people only know the name, but not what they actually did,” he says. Even in the brand’s early stages, Mr. Cozy was committed to using his role as the business owner to educate and inspire people.

Mr. Cozy’s most recent collection is inspired by Manchester as it looks now. You can purchase Cozybrvnd’s products on their website, and they can also be found on Instagram and Facebook.

Palm Springs: The time loop romcom we need?

From Groundhog Day to Edge of Tomorrow, the ‘time loop’ genre is one Hollywood keeps revisiting, ironically, time and time again. While the technique seems simple enough, these narratives always offer complex philosophical questions surrounding purpose, identity, and relationships. Palm Springs serves as a necessary rejuvenation of the genre while providing an intriguing existential twist on the romcom.

Nyles (Andy Samberg) is out of place, or rather out of time. He is attending a wedding of a couple he barely knows, his girlfriend is cheating on him and seems to mellow the pain by sipping a seemingly endless supply of beer cans. His perspective changes when he meets Sarah (Cristin Milioti) who appears as detached as him.

In a zany turn of events, their night together is interrupted when Nyles is shot by a crossbow (a pending future romcom trope). He is quite literally caught with his trousers down and pursued by the mysterious mercenary Roy (J.K. Simmons) for unknown reasons.

After mistakenly following Nyles into ‘The Cave’ (never explained, but honestly who cares?), both him and Sarah wake up only to be living the same day again.

Despite its chaotic opening, the film inhibits a very laid-back, relaxing feel. This is due to its sizzling Palm Springs backdrop matched with expansive blue skies. The set pieces range from a gawkishly bourgeois wedding to the mystical outback of the desert. They serve as a playground of sorts for Nyles and Sarah to romp around and do what they please.

An arbitrary rule I like to adopt when watching a comedy is that it needs to make me laugh (less chuckle, more belly) at least ten times. It’s safe to say Palm Springs exceeded this quota easily and by the second half I was completely on-board.

The duo of Samberg and Milioti is exceptional. Their relentless quips and digs at one another make up a large part of the film with the script (penned by Andy Siara) keeping the humour continually fresh and alive.

The music, scored by Matthew Compton, utilises a collection of tropical instruments maintaining the lounging around feeling on a long summer night. This easy-going attitude surrounding the film is undeniably infectious and certainly a welcomed escape from the current state of the world.

With a line such as “Today, tomorrow, yesterday, it’s all the same”, the pertinence of the pandemic cannot be shaken off. Yet, the film’s chilled atmosphere adds a level of acceptance needed to combat the chaos of it all.

The way the film handles ideas of nihilism and finding purpose is never too heavy handed or patronising. In a vein similar to BoJack Horseman, there seems to be a desire to accept what cannot be changed and to appreciate those around you. A simple message to be sure, but welcomed, nonetheless.

As Alexander Supertramp, another isolated survivor of sorts, said: “Happiness is only real when shared”. Palm Springs wears its heart on its sleeve offering a relaxing viewing experience and above all, an appreciation of all people, whether they be lovers, family or friends.

4/5.

Palm Springs was released on Amazon Prime on the 9th of April.