Hmmm. I like celebrating MOTOWN. A ton of great music was produced in Detroit in the 1960s and 1970s. I also like the four theme answers, even if I've never heard of a CONTOURKIT before this puzzle (although I see it's actually something quite common, by Google).
However.
Isn't it a problem that the groups were called "The Supremes," "The Contours," etc., and that we only get a singular version with each theme answer? Or are we to imagine it's a singular representative of each group heading up each one? I'm a little underwhelmed by that.
That being said, the grid is reasonably clean. There's something of a Japanese mini-theme going on with RAMEN, UDON, TAIKO, ANIME, and AKIRA. There's also a mean streak, what with MAIMS, TRAUMA, and SADISM.
But the real reason I liked this puzzle came with 1A: What you see when you look up? (ACROSS). That gets a flat out A. I was not expecting it, and it's precisely correct. Excellent start to the grid.
Not much else to comment on from my perspective, except that 7D: "The following is completely true:" (FACT) reminds me of Dwight Schrute.
- Colum
16:00
ReplyDeleteI agree with the 1A rating, and also with the complaint of using singular versions of each group, but all-in-all, the puzzle is a good one and works fine. I enjoyed the Japanese mini-theme(s), too. Nice to see ANJOU instead of Bosc for a change, and I liked the clue for ORCA (11D Two-tone apex predator). I wasn't too FAST with my solve today, and that's a FACT, but some clues took many crosses, such as EARACHE, which Colum probably got off of the clue. What, no mention of CECE?
You're right! How could I leave CECE out? I won't tell her.
Delete7:38
ReplyDeleteThe ORCA and OREO clues made that section the toughest for me. Otherwise, another enjoyable Erik Agard puzzle.