From the first note of Christone ‘Kingfish’ Ingram’s 2021 album 662 to the last, you can feel the decades of hard work and heartache that went into creating the album. You can almost see the many thousands of miles of dusty roads he had to travel to get where he is today. You can smell the beer-drenched floorboards of every Blues shack he’s had to play since the 1950s. You can imagine the beautiful smiles of the hundreds of women that broke his heart along the way. And if you turn the new album up real loud, your speakers will begin to sweat, filling the room with the results of many, many years of Kingfish’s service to the Blues. This veteran guitarist and vocalist has been treading the boards since before the Beatles arrived and he’s been here ever since. Wait… what? Christone ‘Kingfish’ Ingram is only 22 years old? And 662 is only his second album? How can Blues this authentic be created by someone who was born at the tail end of the 1990s? What in tarnation is going on here?!

In all seriousness, Ingram is a young guitarist and vocalist with the soul of a classic Blues man. Every note he plays sounds like it is drenched in decades of Blues history. His vocals sound as if he’s been baking in small, hot clubs for years, experiencing the highs and lows of a man two or three times his age. Born in Clarksdale, Mississippi in 1999, Kingfish has crammed plenty of life into a very short period of time. He’s toured the world. He’s performed with Vampire Weekend, Jason Isbell, Buddy Guy, and Bootsy Collins. He made the covers of Guitar World and DownBeat in January 2021. He was compared to B.B. King, Jimi, Hendrix, and Prince by Rolling Stone magazine. To top it all off, his 2019 debut album, KINGFISH, was nominated for a Grammy Award and received critical raves across the board. And all of this from a young man who is barely old enough to legally buy a beer in most states.

Christone ‘Kingfish’ Ingram’s sophomore album, 662 – which is named after his hometown’s area code – is s sizzling slab of the Blues that reveals a more personal side of the artist. While his debut album, KINGFISH, was most certainly a tour-de-force, 662 is a two-de-force – twice the Blues and twice the emotion. While the blues burners like “Not Gonna Lie”, “Long Distance Woman” and the title track are rough and tough, 662 also reveals a tenderness that is essential to the Blues. “Another Life Goes By” and “You’re Already Gone” are sweet and soulful. And when the horns come in on “That’s All It Takes”, it transforms the song into a Soul classic. There are plenty of other surprises on 662, but those are there for the listeners to discover. Not just your average Blues artist, Ingram operates at a level far beyond his years. Just imagine what he’ll be like when he’s 25!

Thanks to his song “Tuyo” being used as the theme song to the Netflix series Narcos (2015) and Narcos: Mexico (2018), American music lovers have recently discovered – and embraced – the music of Rodrigo Amarante. However, the talented vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, and composer started releasing music nearly 25 years ago in his homeland of Brazil and has been making musical inroads internationally ever since. With his mix of Latin, Folk, Psychedelic, Pop, Samba, and Rock, Amarante has forged his own unique musical path, constantly evolving and experimenting with styles, moods, and audio colors. He has reshaped his musical vision with each new project yet has managed to retain a distinct core sound that ties all of his musical excursions together.

Rodrigo Amarante first came to prominence in 1997 when he joined the Brazilian Rock band Los Hermanos. The band, formed by a group of college friends, was a commercial success, touring and releasing several albums before going on hiatus in 2007. During this period, he also became involved with Orquestra Imperial before forming Little Joy with the Strokes’ drummer Fabrizio Moretti and singer/songwriter Binki Shapiro. Aside from these projects, Amarante also had time to play on sessions with Gal Costa, Norah Jones, Gilberto Gil, Devendra Banhart, and others. He released his debut solo album, the critically acclaimed CAVALO, in 2013. And then there was the song “Tuyo” that he wrote and performed for the popular Netflix series Narcos and Narcos: Mexico. With his commercial profile higher than ever, Amarante has spent the last several years preparing his sophomore solo album…

2021’s DRAMA is finally here, and the album lives up to his reputation as an innovative, engaging, and enchanting singer, songwriter, and musician. Like a seamless blending of styles including Pop and Latin music, DRAMA is an album wrapped in atmosphere, melody, and emotion. The album seldom stays in one place for too long, stretching its musical arms and embracing the listener with songs such as “Tango”, “Maré”, “I Can’t Wait”, and “Sky Beneath”. While the album is most certainly a Rodrigo Amarante album, it is also a new, living musical statement that will surprise his legions of fans and engage a new generation of listeners. There are many musical shades on the album, from the gentle piano playing of “The End” to the rays of sunshine that dance amongst the notes of “Tanto”, DRAMA is an album that invites you into a world of both emotional comfort and musical exploration.

Founded in 2009, Clipping is an experimental hip-hop trio composed of producers William Hutson and Jonathan Snipes alongside rapper, actor and Tony and Emmy Award-winner Daveed Diggs. Friends since childhood, Hutson and Snipes initially started the group as a remix project, creating unique musical landscapes using a cappellas by mainstream rap/hip hop artists and their own music. Within a year, Diggs had joined Clipping as rapper, writing his own rhymes over the Hutson and Snipe’s original music. The trio released their debut mixtape, MIDCITY, in 2013, earning them critical success and gaining the attention of record labels and the public at large.

Signing with legendary label Sub Pop Records, they released their debut album, CLPPNG, in 2014. While Clipping’s experimental hip hop sounded minimalistic on first listen, the group’s dark and abrasive sound revealed more layers with each listen. Both a full embrace AND a full denial of modern hip hop, CLPPNG was an album that stood shoulder to shoulder with their contemporaries while also standing apart. However, CLPPNG wasn’t the whole story of the band’s early days. Even though they have issued three full length albums since then, a few of their most popular songs were recorded during the CLPPNG sessions but were not finished in time to make the release. And that is where WRIGGLE came in…

Originally released digitally in June 2016, the WRIGGLE EP consisted of tracks that were originally meant to be on CLPPNG but were not completed in time. The songs “Shooter” and “Wiggle” have become firm fan favorites over the years but, until now, have never been given a physical release. In July 2021, Sub Pop releases WRIGGLE on vinyl LP complete with bonus tracks. This vinyl release contains all six of the digital EPs tracks – including another fan favorite, “Hot Fuck, No Love” (featuring Cakes Da Killa & Maxi Wild) – plus an additional four tracks: “Wriggle” (Homemade Weapons Remix), “Back Up” (Dave Quam Remix), “Shooter” (Jana Rush’s Face Rearranged Remix), and “Wriggle” (Cardopusher’s EBM Remix). Even five years later, WRIGGLE still sounds fresh and never stops revealing surprises behind every beat. But this time, its physical.

Since their formation in 2009, Costa Mesa-based Of Mice & Men has managed to remain one of Metalcore’s most popular bands even though their line-up has changed over the years. The origins of the band began in Columbus, Ohio when former Attack Attack! vocalist Austin Carlile and bassist Jaxin Hall decided to form a band. Connecting with Southern California-based drummer Valentino Arteaga and guitarist Phil Manansala, Carlile and Hall relocated to the West Coast and Of Mice & Men was born. The band added Shayley Bourget on guitar and clean vocals and with their line-up in place, they released their self-titled debut album in 2010. But changes were in store…

By the time the band released their sophomore album, THE FLOOD, in 2011, Hall had been replaced by Alan Ashby. Carlile himself had exited the band temporarily but had returned by the time they released their third album, RESTORING FORCE, in 2014. However, Aaron Pauley had replaced Bourget and was providing clean and unclean vocals alongside bass duties.  This line-up was still intact for the 2016 studio album COLD WORLD, but changes were in store for their next album. Founder Austin Carlile left Of Mice & Men, but instead of replacing him, bassist Aaron Pauley stepped up and became the band’s vocalist. The 2018 album DEFY was their first as a quartet, followed by 2019’s EARTHANDSKY. While the line-up at this time only featured two original members, the band’s sound had evolved, and they had never sounded more passionate.

Signing with SharpTone Records, the powerhouse quartet spent 2020 working on new material during the various COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns. Before focusing on an album, Of Mice & Men decided to release a trio of EPs, and TIMELESS is the first of the three releases. From pummeling rhythms to soaring choruses, Of Mice & Men have perfected their sound and remain as heavy and melodic as ever. Featuring the songs “Timeless”, “Obsolete”, and “Anchor”, this EP sees the band looking forward while bringing the best of their unique sound with them. The EP roars, screams, soars, and dreams… all with added Metal riffing and a skull-crushing rhythm section. This is dark, but it is not without light. Of Mice & Men has built their career on creating exciting Metalcore and judging by the TIMELESS EP, they show no signs of slowing down.

Founded in 2007 by MC Taylor, Hiss Golden Messenger is an Americana group that bridges the gap between folk, country, gospel, and soul. Since the 2009 release of their full-length debut album COUNTRY HAI EAST COTTON, Hiss Golden Messenger has been compared to their many Americana contemporaries, but they’ve also stood out on many levels. While many acts had the right ‘sound’, MC Taylor and Co. had the right ‘feeling’. Sounding as authentic as the rustling of the trees on a breezy and warm summer evening, MC Taylor and Hiss Golden Messenger began their career roaming the back roads of North Carolina and searching for truth and redemption through music.

Hiss Golden Messenger’s 2010 album BAD DEBT introduced the band to a wider audience, being the first to be released outside of the US. The released a few critically successful albums – POOR MOON (2011) and HAW (2013) – before signing to Merge Records. No longer one of America’s – and Americana’s – best kept secrets, the band’s commercial profile began to grow as they continued to release a series of critically-acclaimed acclaimed album including LATENESS OF DANCERS (2014), HEART LIKE A LEVEE (2016), and HALLELUJAH ANYHOW (2017). A dozen years after the formation of the band, Hiss Golden Messenger’s 2019 album TERMS OF SURRENDER received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Americana Album.

Two years on from their Grammy-nominated album, MC Taylor and the band return with 2021’S QUIETLY BLOWING IT. From gentle acoustic strums to bold gospel-influenced stomps, the album is a trip through emotions, fears, hopes, doubts, and dreams. Never standing still, the songs on QUIETLY BLOWING IT don’t offer solutions to problems of the world, but they do offer a respite from the storm. Like a paintbrush on a canvas, Taylor’s songs paint pictures of real life in real time. Tracks like “Sanctuary”, “Way Back in the Way Back”, “It Will If We Let It”, “Painting Houses”, and “Mighty Dollar” reveal his views on the world around him… and around us. And like a painting, there is so much depth to the songs on this album. There are plenty of shadows on QUIETLY BLOWING IT, but they are surrounded by bright glimpses of light. Every strum and every hum is here for a reason. This is an album that reflects the cold tears of solitude and the joyous cry of salvation. And that, in itself, is quite the accomplishment.

Los Angeles, California-based singer/songwriter Rosie Tucker came to prominence in 2015 with the release of her debut album LOWLIGHT. Bathed in shadows, the album was a collection of deeply personal songs presented in stripped-down form. Armed with just an acoustic guitar and a bucketful of songs, LOWLIGHT was a stroll through Rosie’s world. Thoughtful and introspective, the album hit a chord with many listeners. Four years later, she released her sophomore album NEVER NOT NEVER NOT NEVER NOT (2019), which took her music to a new level. On this full-length release, Tucker embraced an Alt-Rock approach with a full band, although the arrangements were still sparse, allowing emotion to bleed through. Without leaving her Folk-inspired roots behind, Rosie certainly added an edge to her introspective songwriting. While the album was a sonic departure from her debut, Rosie Tucker didn’t ‘sell out’ with NEVER NOT NEVER NOT NEVER NOT – she merely upped her game.

Signing to Epitaph Records, Rosie began work on her third album… and her most high-profile release yet. Without altering her musical course too much, the resulting tracks sounded more positive without losing touch of her unique approach to songwriting. As Rosie Tucker states: “Making this album was such a good time that what’s to come almost doesn’t matter. What came before it was a long tour, what came just after was a year spent in lockdown. For me, this album is the string between two tin cans, transmitting me from the can labeled ‘shitty now’ to a can labeled ‘sublime next.’” Recorded with her touring band – drummer Jessy Reed, guitarist Jess Kallen, and bassist/producer Wolfy – the results of these sessions make up her third full-length album SUCKER SUPREME.

On SUCKER SUPREME, Rosie Tucker’s musical maturity takes full flight. The vulnerable acoustic troubadour that we heard on LOWLIGHT is still present and accounted for (just listen to the first half of “Arrow” for proof), yet she has also grown by leaps and bounds as a vocalist and songwriter. On this album, she sounds filled with more confidence and bravado than ever before. The Alt-Rock artist we heard on NEVER NOT NEVER NOT NEVER NOT has an even firmer grasp on the melodic hook, filling SUCKER SUPREME with plenty of tunes that will bounce around inside your brain long after the album ends. Cuts like “Ambrosia”, “Habanero”, “Brand New Beast”, “Airport”, and “Dog” are highlights. This is an album that is smoother and more immediate than NEVER NOT… but still just as edgy and thought-provoking as anything else Rosie Tucker has released.

Ever since his days as the singer, songwriter, front man, and ringleader in Oingo Boingo, Danny Elfman has always been unpredictable. He first came to prominence in his brother Richard Elfman’s 1980 film FORBIDDEN ZONE, in which he performed with his band – then called The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo. In 1979, the group shortened its name to Oingo Boingo and streamlined their sound into a quirky New Wave beat. Immediately, they became a sensation in their hometown of Los Angeles, releasing an EP on I.R.S. Records before signing with A&M Records. Oingo Boingo became the most played local band on KROQ, one of the most influential radio stations in Southern California. Hits like “Ain’t This the Life”, “On the Outside”, “Private Life”, “Only a Lad”, and “Grey Matter” revealed a songwriter like no other. Dramatic, creative, and cerebral, Danny Elfman took Pop, Rock, and New Wave into new and exciting directions. Somehow, their massive success on the West Coast was only trickling into other states and barely resonating outside of the U.S. Elfman and the band needed to make a change if they wanted to achieve greater success…

Switching over to MCA Records, Danny Elfman released a solo album in 1984 before Oingo Boingo finally scored a commercial hit with their theme to the 1985 motion picture WEIRD SCIENCE. With a poppier sound, Oingo Boingo scored several more minor hits for MCA before changes behind the scenes altered the future of both Danny Elfman and the band. Interested in composing film scores, Elfman collaborated with director Tim Burton on several film projects. At the same time, Oingo Boingo was still creating music, which had become a bit darker by their 1990 album DARK AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL. Balancing both his burgeoning career as a film composer and being the leader of a Rock band became overwhelming and the 1994 album BOINGO was the band’s final release. However, his career as a composer went from strength to strength. Between 1986 and 2020, Danny Elfman has composed the scores to dozens of films including PEE WEE’S BIG ADVENTURE, BEETLEJUICE, BATMAN, EDWARD SCISSORHANDS, MARS ATTACKS!, MEN IN BLACK, GOOD WILL HUNTING, SPIDER-MAN, SCROOGED, JUSTICE LEAGUE, and many, many more. His best-known soundtrack is THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS, a monumental mix of musical mayhem that is now considered a holiday classic… during both Halloween and Christmas! With his schedule dominated by film scores, Danny Elfman has not released a Rock/Pop album since the final Boingo album in 1994… until now!

Like everyone else, Danny Elfman has felt the emotional strain of the COVID pandemic, politics, and civil unrest. When he and the world were faced with lockdown, he took his creative energy into his studio and began piecing together a collection of songs inspired by these dark times. And in 2021, he releases BIG MESS, his first solo ‘rock’ album in 37 years. This double-album opus is most certainly not what you might expect from the man that sang “We Close Our Eyes” and “Gratitude” some 30+ years ago. In fact, BIG MESS is a mixture of everything he has done since the beginning of his career. The core of the album is a heavy Rock stomp – closer to the Industrial genre than the quirky jive of Boingo – mixed with big emotional cinematic sweeps, making this album sound like a twisted stage musical performed deep in the heart of madness. BIG MESS is an album that unveils itself depending on the mood of the listener. Is it “Happy” or “True”? Will you “Choose Your Side” or “Get Over It”? (“Sorry” about the song title puns). BIG MESS sounds like the troubled times that we are living through. It offers us a voice to express those thoughts that we often have when we are alone in the dark. It is an emotionally heavy album, but it is not without hope. We most likely will never hear new music by Oingo Boingo, but at least we are lucky that Danny Elfman has (briefly?) returned as a solo Rock artist. It is most definitely ‘good for your soul’…

Japanese Breakfast is singer/songwriter Michelle Zauner. Or rather, singer/songwriter Michelle Zauner is Japanese Breakfast. Zauner was born in Seoul, South Korea and moved with her family to Eugene, Oregon before she turned one. Falling under the spell of music, she eventually became part of several bands throughout her college years and beyond – Post Post and Little Big League – as well as starting her own solo project Little Girl, Big Spoon. After spending time away from Oregon while pursuing music and education, she returned to Eugene to spend time with family. It was there she began writing and recording material that would surface on the debut album by her new musical project Japanese Breakfast.

Her first album as Japanese Breakfast, PSYCHOPOMP, was released in April 2016. The album garnered plenty of critical attention, and within two months, she signed to the Dead Oceans label. SOFT SOUNDS FROM ANOTHER PLANET, Japanese Breakfast’s sophomore album, was released in July 2017. The release was greeted with universal acclaim and helped Zauner to reach a wider audience. Often described as Experimental Pop, Bedroom Pop, or Indie Pop, the music on Japanese Breakfast’s albums were multi-layered, revealing new melodies or moods with each spin. While the two albums were written during her mother’s cancer treatment and untimely death, there was still a sense of hope woven into the music’s many moods.

With the release of Japanese Breakfast’s third album JUBILEE, Michelle Zauner brings that sense of hope to the surface. Like a gracious mix of ‘90s Electronic Pop, ‘80s Synthpop and New Wave, and modern Indie Rock, JUBILEE doesn’t leap from the shadows and dance in the bright sunshine – it is more cautious and thoughtful than that – but it most certainly sparkles in these dark pandemic days. On the surface, this is another collection of catchy melodies that could easily cross over to commercial radio, but the hooks are too smart for the production-line Pop that infiltrates the charts. This is intelligent and emotional music that touches each listener in different ways… sometimes in different ways than Zaunder herself intends. For example, in “Be Sweet”, one can feel a slight Roxy Music-meets-Japan vibe. On “Sit”, the swirling sound is a blend of Dreampop and Techno. Reaching further into the obscure, “In Hell’s” keyboard hook sounds like early China Crisis. However, differently listeners will find different musical signposts scattered across JUBILEE’s aural landscape, whether Zauner purposely placed them there or not. JUBILEE is a journey with many destinations. It is up to you to decide on where it takes you.

Lou Barlow has been a part of the indie music scene for nearly 40 years. Born in Dayton, Ohio – best known as the birthplace of great funk bands like Ohio Players, Slave, Lakeside, and Zapp – Barlow had relocated to Westfield, Massachusetts, where he attended high school. His first band was Deep Wound, a hardcore punk band that featured drummer J Mascis. After Deep Wound split in 1984, Barlow and Mascis – who moved to guitar and vocals – decided to form a new band called Dinosaur. After they released their first record, they were legally forced to change their name thanks to a rock outfit that already operated under the name Dinosaur. Instead of creating a new and fresh band name, they merely added ‘Jr.’ to their moniker and went on to become one of the most influential bands in indie/alternative rock history. Being a songwriter in a band that already had a main songwriter meant that Barlow had more material that could fit on a Dinosaur Jr. album. Because of this, Barlow formed Sebadoh, a lo-fi side project with multi-instrumentalist Eric Gaffney. When Barlow left Dinosaur Jr. in 1988, he focused all his attention on Sebadoh.

Sebadoh was not Dinosaur Jr. Jr. Musically, Barlow took Sebadoh to many different musical places while not traveling too far from his Dino Jr. roots. In fact, Sebadoh’s earliest recordings sounded closer to lo-fi pop pioneer R. Stevie Moore than J Macis. When Jason Lowenstein joined the band, their alt-rock excursions brought the band’s eclectic acoustic-based rock power into focus and the band’s commercial profile began to rise. Albums like BUBBLE & SCRAPE (1993) and BAKESALE (1994) were critically successful, and the band became indie heroes. Barlow then took a detour with another side project, the Folk Implosion, who scored a Top 40 hit with the song “Natural One”. Barlow was also recording lo-fi releases under the band name Sentridoh while working with Sebadoh and The Folk Implosion. However, Sebadoh went on hiatus after 1999’s THE SEBADOH while the Folk Implosion’s final studio release – so far – was 2003’s THE NEW FOLK IMPLOSION. Surprisingly, Lou reunited with Dinosaur Jr. in 2005 and they have recorded and toured sporadically ever since. Oh, and there’s dozens of other releases and projects that he’s been involved with that haven’t even been mentioned here. Whew! The only person more prolific than Lou Barlow is Robert Pollard, who has probably released three albums and a 7” single in the time it took you to read this paragraph!

While Lou contributed two songs to SWEEP IT INTO SPACE, the 2021 album by Dinosaur Jr., he presents 17 tracks on REASON TO LIVE, his first proper solo album in six years. Like an amalgamation of all of his musical projects, the album sounds both fresh and comforting, shambolic and shiny. REASON TO LIVE is a collection of songs that have a certain chemistry – the songs are musical pieces that needed to come together to create a whole. Does it sound like Sebadoh, Sentridoh, or the Folk Implosion? Of course not. But, at the same time, elements from all of those musical projects are alive and well because they are all part of Lou Barlow’s musical journey. The lo-fi mix of acoustic folk and indie rock help to create an album that sounds deeply introspective yet very open and warm. Songs like “In My Arms”, “Why Can’t It Wait”, “Over You”, and “Lows and Highs” are immediate highlights, but the more you listen, the more you’ll be drawn into Barlow’s new musical vision. And anyone with a song titled “All You People Suck” deserves an honorary entry into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  REASON TO LIVE is an album that could only have been created in these uncertain times… yet it sounds remarkably timeless.

Chai is a Japanese quartet comprised of twin sisters Mana (vocals/keyboards) and Kana (guitar) plus bassist/lyricist Yuuki and drummer Yuna. Formed in Nagoya in 2012, the group’s name was, in fact, inspired by the popular Russian tea. The four musicians came together to create music that would exist outside of the formulaic J-Pop music that infiltrated the charts. Their own musical tastes were drawn towards experimental Pop and Hip-Hop and they embraced a style that reflected all of their individual tastes. The band began playing live locally before they moved on to play more gigs in Tokyo. With songs written by Mana, Kana, and Yuuki, Chai released three singles between 2013 and 2014 before releasing their first EP, HOTTARAKA SERIES, in 2015. Two years later, they released their second EP, HOMEGORO SERIES, in April of 2017. As their commercial profile continued to grow, anticipation for an album did the same.

When their debut album PINK was released in late 2017, it presented a band without stylistic limitations. From Punk to Disco, Hip-Hop to Bubblegum Pop, each song had its own vibrant personality. Filled with youthful energy and the desire to exceed expectations from fans and critics, the album sounded like an armful of genres tossed into a washing machine’s spin cycle. Like a mixture of the polished charm of Puffy and the raw energy of Shonen Knife –  Chai was a unique band right out of the gate. Their second album PUNK (2019) saw the quartet expand their musical universe while still sticking to their own unique take on Pop music. In fact, it was getting more difficult to call them a Pop band because… well, they weren’t. Chai was something else. The band was a hybrid – an experiment that took musical expression to a new level. They didn’t play J-Pop, K-Pop, or any other manufactured style of music – they played Chai-Pop. So, with fans and critics in their back pockets, all eyes – and especially ears – were on Chai to see which direction they would go on their third album…

WINK, Chai’s highly anticipated 2021 album, takes the quartet in slightly different directions. With a more focused approach to their songs, the album ups the Soul and Hip-Hop influences, showing that all four members have matured as songwriters and performers. Although the title of opening track is humorous – “Donut Mind If I Do” – the song’s blending of modern production and soulful ‘70s melody is haunting and quite lovely. “Maybe Chocolate Chips” has a laid-back Hip-Hop groove and includes an appearance from rapper Ric Wilson. The album still has plenty of fun moments – “Ping Pong” (featuring YMCK) and “END” come to mind – but WINK is a big musical step forward for Chai. In the past, they’ve created music that was born from kinetic energy, but now they are spending more time crafting their songs, creating atmospheres with their sounds, and reshaping their sound to reflect the people they are now and the times we live in. We all grow up and our tastes evolve as we make our way in this world. Chai have chosen not to remain young whippersnappers and they’ve created music that reflects their view of the world and their thoughts and feelings. But let’s be honest- they are still as fun as they’ve ever been. This time, though, they aren’t afraid to hide behind giggles and glow worms. Chai has grown up. Have you?