the sign is the sign that shall be the sign

Nobody writes good reviews anymore. Grab the July copy of FACES and turn to page 28. Take for example, the short review of The White Stripes' Get Behind Me Satan. It is a short review, and yet, it does not tell me anything about the album. Nothing at all. I for one know that written and published music reviews aren't meant for anyone in particular. And I for one know that music reviews are as good as the reviewer's taste and experience in music. But, I for one, dislike reviews that are just plain shallow and full of general statements. And to make it worst, the reviews were written as if the reviewer never really bother to listen to the whole album.

FACES: The Write Stripes are than just a rock band who constantly have their
guitars roaring and drums a-smashing as you will see in this album.

Huh? This album is, in my opinion, is a testimony of the Stripes' maturity. The guitars aren't roaring, the drums arent a-smashing. Satan is that fifth album which represents a pivotal change in musical directions of Jack and Meg White. Compare Satan with say, Elephant - there's only two tracks with electric guitars, while the rest are filled with pianos, marimbas, acoustics guitars, and other percussions. Elephant was an album chock full of guitars and cymbals and drums, while Satan explores Jack and Meg's musical versatility. So where's the roaring guitars?

FACES: Take a listen to "Blue Orchid" and "My Doorbell" which are sonic smashes which will get you grooving on the dance floor...

OK, so now I know that the reviewer is professional clubber as well. Let me get this straight - Blue Orchid is like Elephant's Seven Nation Army - showcasing Jack's great wild falsetto with a cringe of almost electronic-sounding guitar, while My Doorbell is infectiously melodic and well written and Meg White's cave-thumping stomps.

FACES: ... whilst "Forever for Her" is just a lovely relaxing ballad with good lyrics.

Yeah, whatever. If the reviewer had taken time to really listen to the whole album, he/she would have noticed that "Forever for Her (Is Over for Me)" weren't given much treatment in terms of production. It has good lyrics no doubt, but it just sounded so raw. Didn't the reviewer know that Satan was produced in such a break-neck speed which results in the album sounding so raw?

Albums have characters, not just songs. One does not write about songs and albums without looking at the history of the particular singer or band. Heck, one should be able to figure out who the producers were, and how the album was produced because all these also contribute to the characters of the album.

Then there's the review of Foo Fighter's In Your Honor which begins with "The most ambitious album yet..." but never mentioned on substantiate why it is ambitious. Oh well...

Listening to: PFN - Flow (James Lavelle, GU 26 Romania)