by turns

By turns a wry comic, matinee idol, bankable box-office draw, indie titan and devoted preservationist, Redford carefully cultivated the superstardom based on his boyish charms and capitalized on the post-studio-boss system as he became the de facto godfather of the independent film movement.

Carpenter’s singing plays like an actor’s sizzle reel, by turns winsome, sneering, bubbly and resigned; in the twangy “Go Go Juice” alone — it’s about a woman who’s woken up at 10 a.m. and opted to spend the day drunk-dialing exes — she runs through every emotional gradient separating determination from shame.

Songs are by turns epic, edgy, spacey and insistent.

When my family moved to a new city during that time, I tracked the experience, by turns alienating and thrilling, in relation to my lack of a smartphone.

“Me Talk Pretty One Day” is by turns poignant and hilarious.