What's The Magic Word You Look For?
Posted by Tony Donaghey on 24 September 2008 - 7:43am.
A conversation with a reviewer on a National Sunday paper on what would make him listen to a CD got him to admit "Anything that says it sounds like Wilco."
My own used to be Eno - which lead to his Obscure record label, Talkingheads, Devo, Robert Wyatt, Bowie, U2, John Cale but as yet I've resisted Coldplay.
So what word does it for you when you see it in a review or on a CD?
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Are 2 words allowed?
If so......jangly guitars.
"I've got my senses on."
I am extremely reluctant to reveal the magic word that compels me to buy records, in case this knowledge falls into the hands of Oasis or Scouting For Girls.
There’s a kind of music journalist shorthand in operation where comparisons to The Beach Boys indicates the presence of harmonies; the adjective ‘Byrdisan’ suggests jangly guitars; anything labelled ‘Ethereal’ will probably sound a bit like The Cocteau Twins, and so on.
It’s all nonsense really. My tentative, second-hand impressions of a given album are based on entire reviews as opposed to single words. These reviews don't necessarily have to be favourable – they just have to tell me something about the music.
On and Off
"Craft" turns me on to something, suggesting well written/constructed.
"Cerebral" turns me off - is the album pretentious or just the reviewer?
SFA OK
I once bought an album by a band called All Night Radio purely based on a comparison to Super Furry Animals. It was shit.
Jayhawks
generally picks up my interest.