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Watch out for reviewers who're outside their normal field. If an acknowledged indie fan lauds the latest Macy Gray album, stay the hell away... It means he's swiped it from under the nose of the paper's Urban reviewer, who thought it was **** and didn't want to touch it unless he had to.
Also watch out if all reviewers agree, or say very similar things. That means they've probably bought into a communally created myth. Seek second opinion from different country, or, if possible, different planet.
If it's from a smaller paper, be aware that what you're reading is reviews of stuff the record company or promotional agency are pushing especially hard at the moment. If it's from a student paper, the review is either going to be written by a die-hard fan or by someone who picked it out of a leftover pile.
Look for clues as to whether the person knows the genre or not. Namedropping influences, complex style names and musical analogies is usually a good sign, unless they stop c:a 1968. A lot of name-dropping is just a confidence-building measure, telling the customer "we know what we're doing".
Also watch out if all reviewers agree, or say very similar things. That means they've probably bought into a communally created myth. Seek second opinion from different country, or, if possible, different planet.
If it's from a smaller paper, be aware that what you're reading is reviews of stuff the record company or promotional agency are pushing especially hard at the moment. If it's from a student paper, the review is either going to be written by a die-hard fan or by someone who picked it out of a leftover pile.
Look for clues as to whether the person knows the genre or not. Namedropping influences, complex style names and musical analogies is usually a good sign, unless they stop c:a 1968. A lot of name-dropping is just a confidence-building measure, telling the customer "we know what we're doing".
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