It seems to me that NOW Magazine's reviews exist solely for the purpose of finding some psuedo-witty way of trashing an album. There is very little reviewing that actually goes on.
This is the entirety of the review for Jens Lekman's new album:
quote:
It's go big or go home time for sample-friendly Swedish romantic crooner Jens Lekman, and he knows it. Night Falls Over Kortedala opens with the rumble of tympani before he begins boldly bellowing Scott Walker-style into some epic string-swirling melodrama about his first kiss, which continues into a schmaltzy big-band Latin disco bubbler loosely based on the theme from The Love Boat.
A series of pleasant mid-tempo Bacharach-lite numbers accented by glockenspiel twinkle follow. And Lekman goes to work sensitively tossing off deadpan relationship revelations in quirky detail with a charming lilt while backing vocalists, including Sarah Assbring and Frida Hyvönen, coo sweetly in the background.
It should all work extremely well to break Lekman beyond his current fan base of bored Sufjan Stevens fans waiting for Pitchfork to tell them what to like next. Don't be surprised to hear your mom rockin' this when you go home for a visit.
Do reviews such as this annoy you as well?
________________ Caught between a generation dying from their habits and another thinking rock 'n roll is new.
Posts: 388 | Location: Los Angeles | Registered: 18 December 2006
I've never heard of NOW magazine, but now I totally want to check it out, just so that I can hate it! I'm going to hate it with the same vitriol I usually reserve for the comic, Family Circus!
--------------- I wonder if you're mythologizing me, like I do you
Posts: 1426 | Location: State of Disarray | Registered: 10 January 2007
I don't disagree with that review at all, actually.. I think that the album is alright in small doses, but it is wayyy over-the-top.
And generally I think it's kinda lame to bash p4k just because they're blowin' up and stuff, but a 9.0 for this album? Really? I don't think so guys... take it down to the 7-ish range at least.
Originally posted by Jglass: I don't disagree with that review at all, actually.. I think that the album is alright in small doses, but it is wayyy over-the-top.
And generally I think it's kinda lame to bash p4k just because they're blowin' up and stuff, but a 9.0 for this album? Really? I don't think so guys... take it down to the 7-ish range at least.
I think part of the appeal of Jens' latest album is that it's a sweet little album and it's very enjoyable. I just took Pitchfork's score as a couple of music fans really liking an album. If any other review source gave it a 9.0 it wouldn't be such a big deal, but if Pitchfork gives them a score like that then it's too high?
------ Peanut Butter Pudding Surprise!!
Posts: 1973 | Location: ATL-abouts. | Registered: 24 October 2006
Originally posted by Chamberk: I think part of the appeal of Jens' latest album is that it's a sweet little album and it's very enjoyable. I just took Pitchfork's score as a couple of music fans really liking an album. If any other review source gave it a 9.0 it wouldn't be such a big deal, but if Pitchfork gives them a score like that then it's too high?
Why do you think that if anyone else gave it that score it wouldn't be a big deal? I think the album is too over-the-top and too ambitious, it doesn't pull off the sounds it's trying to. And in my opinion that doesn't make a great album, that makes an overly ambitious album.
What you said is the equivalent of another comment people keep making to me: "If any other band put out In Rainbows you'd be singing it's praises too!" And my answer to that is still "no, I wouldn't. I don't really find it to be enjoyable and I think it is quite dull." If any other band put that album out it would be just another album lost in the piles of good music that I keep finding and keep trying to find.
I also find NOW reviews insufferable! Even when they say they like an album, and give it an okay review they still slip in stupid, often unfounded, 'pay-outs'. An example is in the review of Tegan and Sara's latest album, The Con. They add frustrating comments like,
quote:
both halves still write urgent hook-based songs about love, anxiety and the mean reds that clock in at three minutes max both halves still write urgent hook-based songs about love, anxiety and the mean reds that clock in at three minutes max
Even though this isn't outright irrelevant, they use a needlessly 'narky' tone.
Xo
Posts: 20 | Location: Perth | Registered: 22 October 2007
After my narky comment above, I decided to actually check it out. It, truthfully, seems harmless to me. It seems like a reasonable reference for those in or travelling to Toronto. The reviews don't seem to be proper reviews at all. As little capsule things, they seem harmless enough. And how much can you really say about an album in 3 or 4 lines, in a way that will be meaningful?
I've grown to like the Jens album, but I don't think the review is that far off. It's a wacky album that has huge ambitions hidden behind cheerful little tunes. The extent to which it succeeds depends, imo, on the work one is willing to put into listening to it. It's an easy album for "background music." It wasn't until I sat still, and really listened that I really began to enjoy it.
--------------- I wonder if you're mythologizing me, like I do you
Posts: 1426 | Location: State of Disarray | Registered: 10 January 2007
I have just noticed over the past year that NOW tends to repeatedly have the lowest reviews for popular albums. I have also noticed that they constantly make unhelpful comments like "It should all work extremely well to break Lekman beyond his current fan base of bored Sufjan Stevens fans waiting for Pitchfork to tell them what to like next."
Not that I think the Jens Lekman album is a great album. It is a good album that I enjoy because I think his forays into different music styles are heartfelt and because of his quirky sense of humor. But, I felt the above comment unnecessarily insulted Lekman fans, Sufjan fans, and P4k readers all at the same time.
________________ Caught between a generation dying from their habits and another thinking rock 'n roll is new.
Posts: 388 | Location: Los Angeles | Registered: 18 December 2006
Originally posted by Chamberk: I think part of the appeal of Jens' latest album is that it's a sweet little album and it's very enjoyable. I just took Pitchfork's score as a couple of music fans really liking an album. If any other review source gave it a 9.0 it wouldn't be such a big deal, but if Pitchfork gives them a score like that then it's too high?
Why do you think that if anyone else gave it that score it wouldn't be a big deal? I think the album is too over-the-top and too ambitious, it doesn't pull off the sounds it's trying to. And in my opinion that doesn't make a great album, that makes an overly ambitious album.
What you said is the equivalent of another comment people keep making to me: "If any other band put out In Rainbows you'd be singing it's praises too!" And my answer to that is still "no, I wouldn't. I don't really find it to be enjoyable and I think it is quite dull." If any other band put that album out it would be just another album lost in the piles of good music that I keep finding and keep trying to find.
Ah, I thought you might have been complaining about Pitchfork's pull, and how a good review from them can make or break a band these days. That's the issue being discussed on another board I frequent right now, and I thought that might be what you were getting at.
In any case, I think it deserves a solid 8.5+. So there.
------ Peanut Butter Pudding Surprise!!
Posts: 1973 | Location: ATL-abouts. | Registered: 24 October 2006
Here's another example of what annoys me about NOW:
quote:
From a North American major label's perspective, being the biggest garage band in Sweden doesn't mean shit unless you can shift mega-units and fill sports arenas. The disastrously poor response to the Hives' recent ACC opening spot for Maroon 5 suggests their Fleshtones-derived live routine is in dire need of an update, and over-simplifying their already rudimentary songs for The Black And White Album probably won't help them reach a new tween audience.
However, the increased repetition of blurted nonsense phrases and the further dumbing down of their very basic progressions should serve to rid them of numerous long-time fans who hoped the Hives could save rock 'n' roll. Not quite.
There's really very little actual reviewing of the music in this review. Instead, the reviewer merely shows an utter contempt for the band.
Granted, The Black and White Album is not The Hives' best album, but it is an enjoyable listen and not worthy of the scorn this reviewer heaps on it.
________________ Caught between a generation dying from their habits and another thinking rock 'n roll is new.
Posts: 388 | Location: Los Angeles | Registered: 18 December 2006
NOW's reviews are pretty bad, worse than EW, and that in itself is a statement. Someone should take the time to see who NOW magazine is owned by and see if there is some corporate arm-twisting going on, hopefully not, but I'm always a skeptic of published content and opinions.
Posts: 383 | Location: kentucky | Registered: 02 October 2007
I never take NOW! seriously. I don't think they even take themselves seriously. I've never read a review that had a point, they just take pride in finding ways to make great work sound like crap. Metacritic should take them off the grading system, all they do is dilute the average
Posts: 115 | Location: winnipeg | Registered: 03 November 2007
