Granted, I haven’t listend to the album (nor do I have the inclination to) but if some of the lyrics I’ve seen jotted down are anything to go by, I’ll be giving it a wide berth. The word ‘cliched’ springs to mind.

On a kind of related note, be it completely unrelated, but the new Arcade Fire album is a barnstormer. Really can’t stop listening to it, they’ve even had the audacity to stick one of their most poppiest tracks to date on there – ‘Sprawl II’. In short, its bootiful.

daniel – interesting – give us an example please

ShowYourBones – trust me, “cliched” is just one of several words you can use. Am looking fwd to hearing the Arcade Fire album – once the label decide to give me a copy (or do they want me to go to Rapidshare and get it there?)

In the latest Mojo Arcade Fires album got a glowing review while at the same time bashing Neon Bible, but I remember Neon Bible got the same glowing review that this new one did 3 years ago. It might even have got one of those “Instant Classic” stickers that Mojo like to give out. Two different reviewers I know but still, new album reviews can be pretty worthless. First impressions aren’t always lasting.

Major – I’ve said nothing of the sort! Just pointing out how the reviews stack up. As for Arcade Fire and their 8 album sleeves, I’d just be happy with one copy or legal stream but sadly, the label are not playing ball – only selected reviewers are getting the album, though the words “Arcade Fire” “Suburbs” and “Rapidshare” come to mind – so i’ll reserve judgement until it’s released.

Sprawl II is by no means a favourite, just drawing attention to the fact that it could easily sit top of the hit parade and one wouldn’t bat an eyelid. Rococo, City With No Children, Half Light II, We Used to Wait and Suburban War are standouts at the minute.

But anyway, back to old RA, where did he think up the idea for United Nations of Sound? Must be hangin wif Rev and the Makers or summit. What on god’s earth is a United Nation of Sound?

Jim I am guessing that the music industry is the same as the movie industry where the bigger magazines do deals to give movies 5/5, 10/10 etc. Have you not heard of this in the music industry?

The editor/founder of the Sight & Sound mag said his last straw with Empire (or one of these big glossy mags) was that Peter Jackson refused to do an interview with the mag unless King Kong bought got and was the only movie with 5/5 in that edition. The reviews in S&S do not give ratings at all which is far more interesting in my opinion as i am guessing most people do not even bother to read most reviews of 1/5, 2/5 albums/movies etc.

Daniel’s definitely right. There’s a lot of emporer’s new clothes going on with albums. Things that people were raving about a year ago hardly get a mention any more as they didn’t stand the test of time. i’d be surprised if most reviewers don’t come to an album with pre conceived notions, or have a quick google to see what someone else thinks before they start writing.

There’s always going to be subjectivity in reviewing (as there is in everything in life!) and it depends on who is doing the reviewing in my opinion. If you trust a reviewer and the integrity, i suppose, of their musical tastes then you’ll be getting a good indication from a positive or negative or – a lot of the time! – in-between review of what to expect.

To be honest i generally skim reviews unless something from the text really jumps out at me. I’ve often listened to albums that have blown me away and then gone off to read reviews. Some great reviews can be negative ones. Nothing like a bit schadenfreude of a weekday!

G-Man – I have NEVER heard of such a deal in the music business. Never came across it personally, at any rate. Perhaps it applies to publications which are dependant on ad revenue from the record labels? But surely any magazine worth its salt or credibility would never agree to sell editorial space or a good review or a cover in return for an ad?

Feathers – I’d well believe the Monae album is the best reviewed one on the planet this year going by the Any Decent Music reviews. Santigold? Nah, dont see that.

ShowYourBones – A United Nation of Sound is a catastrophe wrapped inside a fiasco locked into a disaster.

ivan – bang on about Oasis – so many peeps got caught out

Eoghan – good point. I try to listen to an album I’m reviewing at least 2 or 3 times but albums which sound good at first listen often dont last the pace while the opposite is also true

Peter81 – I actually still quite like “Neon Bible”, I must admit. Not a patch on “Funeral”, mind you.

G-Man – currently: Mojo, The Stool Pigeon, Wired, NME, Spin and, now and then, Paste and The Word

Ah, it’s different with music stores – that has always been the case, certainly Stateside anyway.

pmk – there are no hard and fast rules about this either from labels or publications. How I find it works is that most labels know that certain reviewers are into certain stuff and not into other stuff so they usually tailor advance CDs to those hacks depending on what they have to send out. Others simply send CDs or streams to everyone. Other times, you’ll ask the labels for such and such a release because you’ve read or heard something about it. In the case of the big releases (say the new Coldplay or indeed Arcade Fire release) whoever is reviewing the album is the only one who will get the CD or steam in advance because the labels will be choosey about this (they’re fearful about leaks, though it’s quite obvious to everyone that it’s not hacks who are doing the leaking – in the case of Arcade Fire, it seems to have come from a record store). As for allocating reviews, it’s on a first-come basis – Tony is the reviews editor and we pitch reviews weekly to him. Most of the time, we each have fairly clearly defined areas so most of the time, there’s little crossover between what I might review and what Brian might review.

Colette – stay away from my bin!

john – that’s well-known would-be-credible music mag Hot Press with Jedward on the cover, right?

@26 the whole ‘you decide’ hotpress cover thingy strikes me as an excuse to just put jedward on the cover and thus shift way more copies of hotpress to 14 year old girls

The only album to get six stars in Uncut is Yoshimi battles the Pink Robots by the Flaming Lips – an album as awful as the title suggests.

@Quint

Paid editorial is unfortunately quite popular in music magazines these days. I’m sure they were handsomely rewarded by the good folks at Zildjian.