Modular charms
Clarence House, which was lavishly restored at a cost of more than 6 million after the death of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, may also remain his home when he becomes King. One option is to turn Buckingham Palace into the ceremonial headquarters of the monarchy.
While the Duchess fades from public view, Prince William and Prince Harry, shielded from constant scrutiny by their careers in the military, are the most popular members of the Royal family after the Queen. Blessed with their mother's good looks and easy charm, they attract big crowds on their public engagements, to the delight of their father and grandmother. Relations between father and sons have never been so good. They speak regularly on the telephone and by email
Fellow vocalist Toni provides a softened contrast, staying comfortably within a moderate range. On the whole, the band blends guitar-driven bombast somewhere between Weezer and The Who with Analog Synth leads that might as well have been ripped clean from the video games that inspired the tale.
Starting off with 'Night at the Arcade,' the Factory tells the tale of a haunted arcade machine, ripping a poor young girl through space and time - and the earnestness with which they deliver such a far-fetched premise against the Rocky-esque main theme does wonders for the material, replete with faux horn section, dueling harmonized guitar solo, and appropriately epic build.
In 'Chun Li, Outside' Toni takes center stage, bringing a relatable determination to this inherently goofy revenge tale, segueing seamlessly into 'Chun Li, I'm Lovin' it' - which gleefully contrasts synthesized pan pipes with lyrics like 'Bison's mean, Bison's bad, Bison fought and killed your Dad' - although it does come apart a bit towards the end, when the band tries to blend in original soundtrack from the game, and it feels a tad forced.
'Where is Ryu?' and 'E. Honda's Concern' continue the wink/nudge seriousness, and 'Good Grief, Zangief!' branches out into eastern European folk music, before culminating in an 80's TV theme-style power pop chorus - but the real star of this show would be 'Balrog, 24/7,' in which White gleefully does his best Justin Timberlake, slinking through a slick R&B gem long on charm, and with sass to spare. And therein lies the beauty of Round One - it's an inside joke, sure, but one that invites everyone to be a part of it. The record is disarmingly sincere in its childlike joy, and it's 100 percent free.
Awesome.
Man Factory - Feeling Fancy
Man Factory - Where Is Ryu?
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