new semi-regular features
Starting today, I'm going to launch a couple of features here at vcmc hq.

First:

People have widely varying opinions on pitchforkmedia, but I am a fan of the place as it's - usually - pretty close as far as reviews and matching my general musical taste. But every once in a while they publish a review that's just...off, at least in my opinion. And so... for my first installment of "what the fuck, pitchfork?":

Belle and Sebastian - The Life Pursuit.

Let me start out by saying I'm not a huge fan of Belle and Sebastian. I really enjoy If You're Feeling Sinister (it's classic, really) but the rest of what I've heard is...lacking, somehow. I haven't heard Dear Catastrophe Waitress, which I've been told is good, and have only heard most of the rest of their catalog once through or as background music. It all seems pleasant enough, just not particularly engaging.

But a friend recommended I give The Life Pursuit a listen.

I only enjoyed two or three songs. The rest, well, were...bland, boring, and seemed to lack focus or direction.

Pitchfork goes and...gives them a good review. And not just any good review - they get a prestigious spot on the "Best New Music" list.* What the fuck, pitchfork? I would have expected something like a 6, maybe a 7.

Maybe I need to give the album some more time.

Which brings me to the second semi-regular feature I will be introducing: multi-phase record reviews. (I need a better name for this, of course. Perhaps one of my (two) readers can suggest one.)

Here's the concept:
A review is divided into, say, three parts over time:
-Initial impression after 1-2 listens
-Short-term impression - after a week or so (5+ listens)
-Long-term impression - one month (10+ listens, if I can stand it for that long)

This will provide some insight into qualities of an album usually overlooked or not adequately addressed by more standard reviews, i.e. how "difficult" it is to get into an album and its longevity.

Hopefully, I'll be able to hear enough new music to update once every week or two - but my music acquisition patterns don't really suit that so well. I guess I'll have to see how it goes.

So: You're already familiar with my current opinion of the new Belle & Sebastian album. What's the current listen count? Two. Over the course of the next week, I will try to get another three full listens in, and update again then.


*A spot on Pitchfork's coveted best new music list has to be worth a lot of cash. Everyone seems to think Pitchfork's this little indie review site, but they have a tremendous amount of influence and a sizable readership. I'm guilty of - at least twice - buying music primarily based on a pitchfork review. That didn't work out so well and I've developed more skepticism since, but that sort of thing has to happen a lot...
- posted by vcmc @  2/06/2006 08:29:00 PM