There is an increasing amount of talk in the chattering
circles about the death of the negative music review. This comes at a time
where the art of journalism is undergoing substantial structural change
alongside the mode of publication being forever turbulent to the tide of
technological advance. Traditional outlets, even in the online form, are no
doubt under a constant threat of diminishing revenue streams, and thus the
stranglehold of commercial reality over artistic integrity continues to
strengthen. At this juncture, it would be moot to consider the impact of the
favourable review over the one not so kind. With advertising revenue being the
obvious king, the biggest driver is traffic, so therein lies the conundrum of
what kind of review accrues the target numbers.
Descending several steps down the ladder, advances in
technology continue to entirely democratise the independent voice and thus the proliferation
of the amateur publication, which indulges in the timeless art of music criticism.
Whether in the guise of the solo blogger or the more polished websites
operating in the shadows of the pseudo content elite, opinion has never been
more open and accessible. By and large though, this is almost entirely positive
from top to bottom, even when the financial stake can only have a token effect.
From a personal perspective, I fall wholeheartedly into this
solo category with seven hundred plus reviews in the book over the last five
years. The ethos to remain positive and independent has evolved over time to
become the main driver and writing guide light. Any change in the positivity
tone has always been tempered by where do you start. Do you randomly pick an album
you don’t like and then choose to dissect the rationale? This may be a record
you perversely chose to purchase or likewise, chose to spend a lot of time
listening to in order to come to a rational conclusion. On the other hand, it
may be a promo where a publicist is keen to read a review – good or bad!
However, it is likely that if you are receiving promo copies
for review there is a strong element of positivity in your writing. Developing
a smart notion of the stakeholder in the music chain is useful if you enter
some part of it. In addition, there is a chance that if a publicist is sending you
multiple artists, the likelihood is that some are going to appeal. So if you
reside in the finite world of leisure time, stark choices in the way you take
to an album are presented in the review opportunities. Now there is the obvious route
of balancing your output, should you choose it. This comes back to the previous
assertion of allocating time to something, which doesn’t really appeal.
The whole value of a review is also something to ponder.
These days it is easy to sample all material purchased, so any review is likely
to be a signpost rather than influence taste. Of course, artists, publicists
and any other stakeholders can feast on a positive review; some to greater extent
than others do and not always, where you predict. Social media presents endless
reach for the positive review. As long as it’s written from a genuine
independent stance, they can be a force for good. The art of constructive
criticism is a peculiar one in terms of it suggesting what would make a record
appeal more to you – the individual. Although, you should never lose sight that
all reviews are subjective by their nature.
If the demise of the negative review continues, does this
signal the end of the review possessing any valuable credibility? The true test
to its survival is in the quality of the piece and to the extent that the style
appeals to the reader. It also must be totally independent to the PR blurb,
which is increasingly being written with such flair. Perhaps an indication of the
flight of the journalist to the other side.The strength of the positive review is to remain grounded,
while indulging in the odd bout of hyperbole should the feeling arise.
Stressing why you think a record has appealed should be the goal and perhaps
why folks should come round to your trail of thought. Only after they have
listened to it, mind you.
Developing an effective filter system is a good trait,
should you get embroiled in the the web of PR and possess the desire to remain
independent. I am fortunate to be in the position where submissions easily
double the review limit that life imposes. Of course any publicist worth their
salt will get a grasp on what moves you as a listener. This will obviously lead
to more reviews in their direction, but this is not necessarily a major issue
as long as your filter system is strong and working.
One danger of getting too embroiled in a publicist network
is leaving too little time to use the power of your own feelers. Some bloggers
choose to open up their reviews to the purchased content, this firms up the
positivity angle, while strengthening the independent nature. Over the years, I
have resisted this route. To this extent, I am quite pleased with the current
balance of roughly 50/50 when looking at my evolving albums of the year list in
terms of promo and purchased. The most important thing about music blogging is its freedom
to do whatever you want. Over the years, I have toyed with following others by
going down the content route. Gladly this didn’t prevail and now I am totally
comfortable with the format of the near entirety of independent self-written
album and gig reviews.
The art of blog and website analysis is to truly understand
where a writer is coming from. Hits and traffic that massage an ego can be
harmless and perfectly fine, especially for those who know the romanticism of
their role. If the demise of the negative review is likely to continue, then it
becomes more important to evaluate the product and substance of the source.
Essentially, there will be a response to assertions of
demise from those who do actively partake in balancing the thoughts of their mind in print
or online. It is important though to stand back and consider that we are all just
playing a subjective game. Alternatively, it may be viewed that standing up to weighted
interest is vital in this day and age. Regardless of your point of view, music
reviewing should remain fun, especially when operating on the lower rungs of
the ladder. However, being smart and astute is more fun.
