The Tree of Life is not a movie — at least, not in the traditional sense. We think of movies as having a beginning, a middle, an end. We think of protagonists whose objectives are clear and engaging. We think of obstacles and plot and drama. We do not think of poetic cinema.

But that’s what Terrence Mallick was up to. He composed something akin to long-verse, in which the images — and the scenes they comprise — only make sense when juxtaposed with one another, and in the context of what is heard underneath them. If the twenty-minute creation sequence in the middle of the film didn’t make any sense, and audiences walked away wondering why in the world they saw dinosaurs, it was because they didn’t pay enough attention to what came before those scenes, and what came after. They weren’t listening to the music.

That’s why a whole lot of people hated this film so much. Malick makes no effort to communicate with his audience in a traditionally narrative way, but he does make every effort to communicate in a poetic way. As with all poetry, it demands a careful reading, and possibly (probably) more than just one. Then, he who hath eyes to see….

However, this work of art is not prohibitively inaccessible, just unfamiliar. The composition of this thing was so masterful, so careful and rich with emotion and design, that anyone who gives it due diligence will discover beautiful things. No good poem exposes the depths of its meaning to the casual reader. Poets seek conversation, not didacticism.

Conversation, in fact, plays a central thematic role, here. There is the conversation between the “way of nature, and the way of grace,” which may have been one of the more obvious take aways, but there is also the intimate conversation between past and future selves. We see souls in a state only familiar to those who have some experience with meditation. They commune with themselves through time, as eternally learning entities.

They do this through the most refined form of conversation: prayer, which, it could be argued, is the grand central component of this whole work. The Tree of Life is structured, and plays out like a long and desperate search for divine answers. A child kneels, alone at his bed, and says those very familiar boyish words, “Help me to be thankful … help me not to tell lies…” But, in a whispered voice over, the true desires of his heart find expression: “I want to know what You are … I want to see what You see…” And then we, the audience, watch as the camera drifts like a slow breeze over a playground full of children. This is the answer to the young boy’s prayer.

In terms of execution, Life could not be better. On Blu-ray, it is simply stunning. Each shot seems to be (and probably was) composed with absolute reverence, each sequence meticulously assembled. The score, ranging from awe-inspiring majesty to total silence, perfectly supports the kind of transcendental realism more tangibly represented by the physical design. Terrence Malick has built a holy edifice.

Gratefully, he was also able to afford acting talent to match. Brad Pitt has never been more understated and compelling, and Jessica Chastain is motherhood exquisitely idealized. Sean Penn, love him or hate him, is a brilliant actor, and carries a complex, basically silent role to immaculate fruition. Much of the emotional payoff rests on his shoulders in almost impossibly quiet scenes, and his character could not have been better cast.

The Tree of Life doesn’t really belong in “Top Ten” lists, or any other medium of pop culture reference or significance. Instead, it represents brilliance and striving that is almost totally disconnected from the bottom line of the box office. Not that there’s anything wrong with making money, but this film does not toe that line. It cost what it cost, and everyone involved, I’m sure, got paid for their work, as all artists and craftsman should.

What is left, however, after half a decade of work, is a masterpiece of spiritual expression. Terrence Malick sought, with all of his might and faith, to reach through the chaos and pain of life and touch God. This film is evidence that God, at least for a moment, reached back. ♦ ♦ ♦

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So give a quick nod of gratitude to Mr. Mayer and enjoy the hypnotic quality of my latest musical obsession, as the song’s muse struggles with her separation from family, friends and ultimately her spirituality.
 

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In a technologically-advanced age of over-the-top digital production and shameless auto-tune, the vulnerable and unpretentious nature of rootsy, singer-songwriter music can be a much-needed departure into the authentic.

While Ke$ha, Nicki Minaj, Glee and similarly enhanced fare may dominate the majority of our airwaves, it’s impossible to replace the raw emotion and timeless qualify of American folk music. Part nostalgic, part melancholy and part salt-of-the-earth, the genre lends itself perfectly to the impending spring season — conjuring up cinematic scenes of open highways and setting the stage for a well-needed contemplative road trip.

Listen to our playlist of some of the best folk songs on Spotify:
Best Folk Songs: Rediscover Your Roots

Chase Larson is the founder of SOUND. He has written for Men’s Journal, Deseret News, Daily Herald, Rhombus and worked as an editor at the The Daily Universe. When he’s not involved in one of the aforementioned pursuits, he sleeps. Very well. Follow him on Twitter at @chasemlarson or Google+.

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Episode 1: “Nerds”

Guest: Josh (@jashcats)

“What is a nerd and do you like them?”

A discussion about what we mean when we call people nerds, call people cool or call people losers. Also, a very honest analysis of where we fit in to all of that.

Episode 2: “Holidays”

Guests: Bryce (@Enslow4) & Harper (@Harpey7)

“Do you believe in holidays?”

A pleasant argument about which holidays should be thoroughly celebrated, how far that celebration should go, why celebrating things is the best, as well as a proposition for a new holiday or two.

Episode 3: “Crying”

Guests: Caitlyn (@CaitlynCutler), Justin (@CJCutler3) & Josh (@jashcats)

“How often do you cry?”

We talk about how often we cry, what types of things make us cry and what our crying is like when we do it. Although we’re talking about crying, we actually end up laughing most the time.

Episode 4: “Horror Movies”

Guests: Josh (@jashcats)

“Do you like horror movies?”

Josh talks about the last scary movie he watched and then we try to figure out why these movies are appealing and why people like to feel scared.

Episode 5: “Birthday Posts”

Guests: Harper (@Harpey7) & Bryce (@Enslow4)

“Do you wish people ‘Happy Birthday’ on Facebook?”

We discuss which people we choose to wish a ‘Happy Birthday” to on Facebook, which ones we don’t, and then we argue with Harper about how thoroughly a birthday should be celebrated.

Episode 6: “Robots”

Guests: Josh (@jashcats) & Justin (@CJCutler3)

“If you were a robot, would you want to know?”

The brothers discuss a hypothetical situation and end up delving into what makes a robot a robot, a human a human, and which would ultimately be better. Don’t worry, it’s not nearly as serious as it sounds.

Episode 7: “Substitute Teachers”

Guests: Bryce (@Enslow4) & Jimmy

“What do you think of substitute teachers?”

We discuss what it’s like to substitute teach, how strange little kids are, how middle school is a hell hole, whether teachers are justified in claiming they’re underpaid and a bunch of other schoolyard topics.

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**Officially submitting the track for SOUND’s next iteration of “Now That’s What I Call Baby Making Music.”

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Jamie wrote Clint Eastwood’s Grand Torino theme song, which is already a cinematic classic. This album sees Cullum taking a slightly new approach — he used home recordings for most of the tracks along with some iPhone apps and utilized cassette recorders as mixing aids in search of a more do-it-yourself sound.

The first single, ”Everything You Didn’t Do,” will be released on May 12.


 

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Although the upcoming show marks the first public appearance for The National Parks, the band members are certainly not strangers to the music scene. Fans of (now-disbanded) popular local band Brady Parks and the IndiAnns will instantly recognize the group’s core. Far from being a simple name change, however, The National Parks’ music makes it clear that they have come a long way from IndiAnn’s lone album, Mossy Mountain.

“I still feel good about the work we put into Mossy Mountain and those songs built a fan base we’re grateful for,” leadman Brady Parks explained,  “but this album with The National Parks is on a different level. I hesitate to call Mossy Mountain juvenile in comparison, but … well, I guess that’s what I just did.”

The National Parks are currently at work recording an album but allowed SOUND a preview of some rough edits of several tracks and the music certainly backs up Mr. Parks’ opinion. Some tracks approach the airy energy and emotional wanderlust of The Lumineers or Lord Huron while two slower tracks offer depth and patience comparable to Mumford & Sons’ subtler fare. Based on what we’ve had the chance to hear, the album is going to be very, very good.

Utah residents will be able to easily keep tabs on them over the next few months, starting with their March performance (free and open to all ages), their album release show in June and a number of other live performances. Those unable to attend their upcoming shows will be able to follow the band through the planned pre-release of a single from the new album, a music video for “Ghosts” (one of our personal favorites), the digital release of the full album—anticipated in June and an exclusive listen to a rough studio edit of “Helsinki” below.

It isn’t easy to predict success for a band and actually making it in today’s music industry is not an easy task. The National Parks still have a lot of legwork ahead of them in order to join the likes of Imagine Dragons or Neon Trees as the next band with Provo roots to make it to the national stage, but judging by their initial efforts, both in the studio and in terms of marketing, it is safe to say that they have a fighting chance.



Visit The National Parks website or “like” their official Facebook page to stay up to date.

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