Taylor Swift's album "Folklore" marked a significant departure from her previous pop-infused sound, delving into the realm of alternative and indie-folk. With this album, Swift showcased her ability to adapt and transform her musical style, captivating listeners with its dreamy and enchanting atmosphere. The term "dark magic" has often been associated with this album due to its introspective and mystical tone. "Folklore" invites listeners into a world of storytelling, where Swift channels her personal experiences and weaves them into intricate narratives. The album is filled with haunting melodies, poetic lyrics, and atmospheric production that transport the audience into a realm of introspection and vulnerability. Swift's introspective songwriting delves into themes of love, loss, and introspection, painting a picture of emotions that resonate with the listener's own experiences and emotions.
The facts of Domino's afterlife are simple: he's a half-breed witch from a people without a name, living out a cursed Butch Cassidy existence… and no one wants to be stuck in Hell with witch blood. When he discovers demonic bounty hunters are on his tail, he is shocked to learn they were hired by his brother. Wicasah, wielding insurmountable power, has struck an ill-made bargain with an ancient being of lighting and thunder to resurrect Domino from his terrible fate. Yet, the two discover an even darker power resides within a fractured United States, one that will stop at nothing to be released. Desperate to escape their own destinies, the two must decide if they will save the world… or let it burn.
Instead of spelling out the reasoning for the clashing magic and lore, it reminded me why I love speculative fiction in the first place the possibilities. Sometimes the scene descriptions are rendered sparely, other times with a nearly poetic hand, but at all times create a durable and memorable backdrop for the drama.
Swift's introspective songwriting delves into themes of love, loss, and introspection, painting a picture of emotions that resonate with the listener's own experiences and emotions. The themes explored in "Folklore" often touch upon darker aspects of human nature, such as betrayal, heartbreak, and the complexity of relationships. However, the album also carries a sense of hope and resilience, showcasing Swift's ability to find light within the darkness.
Weird westerns that cross the genre border
It’s a little-known fact that one of the all-time bestselling writers of westerns lived most of his life in the English market town of Melton Mowbray. JT Edson, who died in 2014, wrote more than 137 novels, most of them westerns, and claimed in all seriousness “never to have even been on a horse”. A former chip shop owner, Edson developed a love of escapist fantasy in his youth, and approached writing westerns just as he later approached writing sci-fi.
The world of the western is about as historically accurate about 19th-century America as the world of the Shire in Lord of the Rings is about pre-industrial England. Both are fantasy worlds, abstracted from reality, crafted by expert fantasists. The pre-eminent western author, Louis L’Amour, loved the mythology so deeply that he began to write novels as a way of escaping into it. Like sci-fi and fantasy authors, writers of westerns, even when their sales stretch into millions, remain at the margins of mainstream culture. So it seems almost inevitable that over time the western and the fantasy have cross-bred.
Stephen King, the master of rejuvenating pulp plotlines for today’s reader, can make a strong claim to owning the weird western as well. The Dark Tower series, which now stands at eight volumes, is the story of gunslinger Roland Deschain and his quest to reach the titular tower. Few among even King’s most hardcore fans would claim The Dark Tower his greatest work, but its blend of western imagery with fantasy quest story is, at times, hypnotic. King’s series undoubtedly influenced David Gemmel’s 1987 weird western, The Wolf in Shadow. Jon Shannow is the loner anti-hero to end all loner outsider heroes, and while Wolf in Shadow is lesser known than The Dark Tower, it is a far more accurate take on the western, a genre Gemmell clearly adored.
Joe Abercrombie’s Red Country is a weird western set in the same world as his First Law fantasy trilogy, although the connection is perhaps a little manufactured. Abercrombie has courted the title of Lord Grimdark, but that somewhat obscures the more interesting aspects of his work. To coin a pretentious but accurate term, Abercrombie is a “post-fantasist”, a writer who grew up immersed in Tolkien, Moorcock and Dungeons and Dragons, and who can’t resist poking at the boundaries of the genre he clearly also loves. “What if the wise old wizard is actually a dextrous con artist who leads the hero on a false quest?” is the kind of question an Abercrombie fantasy toys with.
Red Country continues Abercrombie’s quest to mash every other genre into fantasy, and the result lands somewhere between Charles Portis’s True Grit and the John Milius movie of Conan the Barbarian. Young heroine Shy South sets off on a quest for revenge to recover her kidnapped brother and sister, along the way hopping through a series of western set pieces in which Abercrombie can have fun asking “what would a gold rush town in a fantasy world be like?” Abercrombie is very skilled at delivering the kind of thunderous, violent climax both westerns and fantasy fans expect, and Red Country does not disappoint.
Molly Tanzer’s unique and beautifully imagined weird west romp Vermillion replaces grimdark quest fantasy with lush urban fantasy. Eloise “Lou” Merryweather is a Taoist “psychopomp”, gifted with the capacity to commune with the dead, and charged with the task of keeping a San Francisco of the 1800s safe from supernatural terrors. In common with her earlier book A Pretty Mouth, which won my search for indie-published sci-fi and fantasy, Vermilion displays Tanzer’s talents for quickfire banter, adorable characters, and almost preternatural skills at blending apparently disparate genres. As with so much of the most original fiction published in the atmosphere of today’s crushingly conservative book world, Vermilion comes from an independent press. Thanks to ebooks and Amazon that matters much less than it used to, and the adventures of psychopomp Lou Meryweather are finding a passionate cult readership.
Ben Galley was among the first wave of indie fantasy authors to find success on Amazon’s Kindle platform with his Emaneska fantasy series. Last year Galley returned with Bloodrush, first in the Scarlet Star trilogy. Tonmerion Hark is rudely awakened from his privileged youth by the death of Lord Hark, and hurled across the ocean to the very edge of the world: Wyoming! Bloodrush has yet to replicate the success of Galley’s breakthrough The Written, which is a shame. In the interim, Galley has gone from interesting young fantasy writer to a talented author of great skill and imagination. There’s a fascinating tension inherent in the weird western, between the epic fantasy where the hero is able to triumph over evil, and the gritty western where evil is intrinsic to the world. Galley plays on that tension expertly, guiding Tonmerion on his journey of discovery.
I’ve barely scratched the genre’s surface here. Stark Holborn’s Nunslinger added a Catholic twist to the weird western when serialised last year. The novels of Joe R Lansdale – horror fiction’s answer to Cormac McCarthy – range so widely through the western mythology that he challenges King as father of the weird western. Catherynne M Valente, American fantasy writing’s best-kept secret, expressed her unique take on the fantasy western in stories Six Gun Snow White and The Shoot-Out at Burnt Corn Ranch Over the Bride of the World. But the weird western is still waiting for its breakout hit. Could Tanzer or Galley provide it? If not, no doubt another young writer will step forward to meet the challenge – and collect the paycheque.
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Roland is a haunting figure, a loner, on a spellbinding journey toward the mysterious Dark Tower, in a desolate world which frighteningly echoes our own.
Through her introspective and mystical approach, Swift creates an immersive experience that captivates listeners and invites them to reflect and connect with their own emotions. The production on "Folklore" further enhances the dark magic ambiance of the album. Collaborating with renowned producer Aaron Dessner of The National, as well as Jack Antonoff and Bon Iver's Justin Vernon, Swift crafted a seamless blend of indie-folk and alternative soundscapes. The use of ethereal instrumentals, including pianos, acoustic guitars, and lush string arrangements, enhances the mystical atmosphere of the album, creating a hazy and haunting sonic landscape. With its introspective and mystical nature, "Folklore" stands as a testament to Taylor Swift's growth as an artist and her willingness to explore new musical territories. The album's dark magic ambiance not only showcases Swift's artistic evolution but also allows listeners to immerse themselves in a world of introspection and vulnerability. Through this album, Swift proves her ability to reinvent herself, captivating audiences with her poignant storytelling and atmospheric soundscapes..
Reviews for "Magical Realms and Haunting Melodies: Taylor Swift's Dark Music"
1. Jessica - 2 stars
I was really disappointed with "Taylor Swift's Dark Magic". The album lacked the catchy hooks and relatable lyrics that I have come to expect from Taylor Swift. The songs felt generic and lacked the emotional depth that I have loved in her previous albums. It seems like Taylor was trying to experiment with a darker sound, but it just didn't work for me. Overall, I found the album forgettable and it didn't leave a lasting impression like her previous work.
2. Michael - 2.5 stars
"Taylor Swift's Dark Magic" felt like a departure from her usual pop-country style, but unfortunately, it fell short for me. The songs on the album felt disjointed and didn't flow well together. The experimentation with darker themes felt forced and inauthentic. I missed the heartfelt storytelling that made me fall in love with Taylor's music in the first place. Overall, I found "Dark Magic" to be a forgettable album in her discography.
3. Emily - 1 star
I have been a long-time fan of Taylor Swift, but "Dark Magic" was a major disappointment. The album lacked the infectious energy and relatability that I have loved in her previous work. The songs felt overly produced and didn't allow her vocals to shine. The lyrics on the album also felt shallow and lacked the depth that she usually brings to her songwriting. I hope Taylor goes back to her roots and delivers an album that truly showcases her talent in the future.
4. David - 2 stars
"Taylor Swift's Dark Magic" was not what I expected. The album felt overly dramatic and a departure from her usual style. The songs seemed to blend together and I struggled to find any standouts. I missed the catchy hooks and infectious melodies that Taylor is known for. The album felt like she was trying too hard to reinvent herself rather than staying true to her own unique sound. Overall, "Dark Magic" was a miss for me and I hope Taylor Swift returns to her previous style in her future releases.