Album Rating: 4.0

Well, it's hard to respond to "annoying and generic" without being more specific. For me, what makes Swift unique in modern pop is that attention to dramatic form--the ways in which sound, music, and lyrics fit together to enhance each other--that I tried to analyze in this review. I also think think she has a phenomenal, intuitive grasp on very simple, but effective, songwriting principles, namely in creating musical patterns and knowing how and when to creatively divert from them. Again, I described some of these effects in the review, but it's all over music, and to a much higher and more consistent degree than other pop music.

All that said, if you don't appreciate her ear for melody, especially, then you probably won't care for the above. If I had to make one recommendation it would be to start with either Speak Now--for a more organic, pop-country sound--or 1989--for a more produced, electronic pop sound--and see what you think. I love this album but it's more idiosyncratic.

Album Rating: 3.5

if you've never listened to her albums then how can you say "a 4.5 review and Taylor Swift doesn't really compute for me"?

"Sometimes there are effects in music that can only be explained in musical terms and I honestly think critics do a disservice to readers, and readers a disservice to themselves, by not knowing about and/or never discussing such things."

For sure, I think it's all a matter of perspective. Personally, I'm a lot more interested in the cultural context of a record and why something matters in a more big-picture sense than the specific musical analysis, but I know people differ on that. I will say that in my experience the former tends to be more engaging to read, but I know not all research aims to be engaging. (I have very little patience for that kind of research, but that's a me thing more than anything else.)

Album Rating: 4.0

@Brostep - I hear you. I think we all appreciate art for different reasons and thus care about different things when we read criticism. I just think it's a shame that the actual "art" part, the thing that makes art different than philosophy or sociology, seems completely ignored these days. It's not just music either, as it's rare to find film reviews that ever discuss any of the technique involved--there's also a good piece on this that piggybacked off the earlier one I posted: https://www.rogerebert.com/mzs/please-critics-write-about-the-filmmaking

FWIW, when I do use formal/technical analysis, I do so to try to make a point about how/why I feel something works or doesn't, so I don't try to do it just for the sake of it.

Album Rating: 4.0

This review is so spot on. Even as a massive fan of this album I hadn't caught those humorous nods and ironic turns of phrase, although it was abundantly clear to me that this was tongue-in-cheek and not to be taken seriously.

Album Rating: 4.0

Thanks, man.