While Eric Church keeps fans guessing on The Outsiders with his combination of rap and classic country music, Beck continues to build on a solid career with the release of Morning Phase. Gamer alert—the Titanfall universe challenges include small versus giant, natural versus industrial, and man versus machine. The Outsiders, Eric Church (EMI Nashville) Eric Church has had a successful career,and The Outsiders is his fourth studio album. He has established himself as a bit of a rebel in the music industry, well-known for his mix of rock, hip hop and country that appeals to the party dance scene. Unfortunately, his crafty songwriting fall a little short this time around. The Outsiders has some great songs and moments but overall, it seems all over the place. It is almost like he is trying too hard to make a statement and winds up not saying anything new.  In his effort to be outside the mainstream and more artistic he winds being just same old same old. The highlights here are “Give Me Back My Hometown,” “Roller Coaster Ride,” “That’s Damn Rock & Roll,” and “Cold One.”—Nick M., grade 10, Floral Park (NY) Memorial High School Morning Phase, Beck (Capitol) This is Beck’s first studio album since 2008, and it is clear that Morning Phase has a lot to say. Beck has reinvented himself over the years, finding new ways to make something sound new. That is what he does on Morning Phase. It has the same downbeat acoustic vibe coupled with the same band members making it almost a sequel or companion piece to his 2002 release Sea Change.  But of course Beck is older and wiser now, so Morning Phase has a more mature and determined feel. Using special string arrangements along with guitar acoustics, dreamy synthesizers and strong vocals, Beck creates a worldly and mysterious but hopeful album that fans are sure to enjoy. Check out these tracks—“Waking Light,” “ Blue Moon,” “Say Goodbye,” and “Don’t Let Go.”—Claire H, grade 11, Floral Park (NY) Memorial High School Titanfall (Respawn Entertainment) There has been a lot of buzz in the gaming community with the release of Titanfall. The former Call of Duty creators are ready to shake the business up with advanced sci-fi combat and new gameplay elements. Gamers now have many options and freedoms as they fight as an elite assault Pilot or as the heavily armed Titan. Combat is more intense as it takes more than one shot to bring down your opponent and many weapons have automated sights for precision aiming. Movement is also more fluid with designated areas where Titans can’t tread. Customization is a big plus here; Titans can be outfitted with different weapons and powers. The battle areas are expansive, allowing for fantastic matches and showdowns. The intense strategy needed to win makes playing Titanfall very addictive. It is not a game of sheer force but truly a game of skill. Rating: M for Mature. Platform: Xbox One, Xbox 360 and PC.—James M., grade 11, Floral Park (NY) Memorial High School