“WHO CARES?” – Rex Orange County

The arrival of spring brings a flurry of new albums, each with hits in high competition for the “song of the summer.” While Rex Orange County has his fair share of emotional ballads, he also produces strong contenders for dancing around your bedroom. His most recent album, “WHO CARES?,” appears to give more space for said pop melodies. The uniqueness of his sound persists — with classical strains meshed with lofi beats and choral synchronization. It’s most definitely a Rex Orange County album, but is a little bit more upbeat than his usual releases. The best of the record includes “KEEP IT UP,” “7AM,” and “ONE IN A MILLION.” Tyler the Creator is also featured on “OPEN A WINDOW.” Check the album out wherever you stream music. 

“Vampires in the Lemon Grove” – Karen Russell

“Vampires in the Lemon Grove” is the first of a collection of eclectic, wickedly bizarre short stories by Floridian novelist Karen Russell. Aspects of magical realism and transformation settle comfortably among modern timelines, familiar characters, and eternal feelings. As Russell spins her tale, the stories she brings to life are startling and impossible to pull away from. She contemplates questions that one would never think to ask in the first place. What if vampires didn’t need to drink blood? To what extent are we slaves to our bodies? What if you found a scarecrow in the middle of the woods that looked exactly like a kid you bullied in school? But I digress…if you’re looking for something to get you out of your reading rut, check out Karen Russell’s fantastical fables “Vampires in the Lemon Grove.”

“The Adam Project”

Though Ryan Reynolds appears to be the next Adam Sandler, playing himself in almost every movie, most don’t mind seeing him time and time again. “The Adam Project” follows Adam, a twelve-year old played by Walker Scobell, whose life is disrupted when he finds future Adam (played by Reynolds), a fighter pilot running from a tyrannical Star-Wars-esque villain. The two team up to destroy time travel, while reuniting with Adam’s late father in a different time loop. Despite the sci-fi focus, the film was a surprising emotional whirlwind. (I cried!) It’s directed by Shawn Levy, whose other credits include “Stranger Things,” the “Night at the Museum” series, and “Free Guy.” It’s a perfect watch for the whole family — find it on Netflix. 

“The Worst Person in the World” – Joachim Trier 

Despite being set in the metropolitan landscape of modern Oslo, “The Worst Person in the World” is a timeless, universal slice of life. The film follows a young woman, Julie (pronounced in Norwegian: “you-lee”), tirelessly, passionately, moving from one relationship to the next. The pacing is completely immersive, flitting in ecstasy, then languishing in the doldrums. In the epic span of the twelve-chaptered story, human existence, morality, all things big and vague become magnified and dreamlike. The director, Joachim Trier, often wields motifs of reality and illusion in his elusive films. It seems to matter less to him whether a scene literally happened, and more that it touches and resonates with the viewer. If you’re looking for something that will completely sum up your entire life and make you feel entirely unspecial, watch “The Worst Person in the World” by Joachim Trier. If you happen to like it, consider checking out his previous film: a romance/thriller called “Thelma” (a personal favorite of mine).

“Among Us” 

This game, I’m sure, isn’t a new recommendation for many readers.The American game producer, Innersloth, created “Among Us” in 2018, but it was only in the summer of 2020 that it rose to insurmountable popularity. It’s taken me two years to get back into it, but I think that it’s high time for “Among Us” to reclaim its title as America’s sweetheart. That’s a bit of an exaggeration, but really, I just think it’s so fun. Whether I’m trying to find out who the imposter is, personalizing my character, or doing my little tasks, I’m always having a good time. If you can find a handful of willing friends, it’s even more fun. I guess it’s less about the game than the love I found among us.