To each is thier own, maybe it's something that grows on you.
I have my 1/4 century review up, if your interested?

Album Rating: 2.5

I'll read it in a bit - I've got a train to catch in about an hour. But I'll get to it once I've logged into the train's wireless network. You just sit tight =)

Thanks Irving, your insight is always appreciated, i'm eventually planning to change my 'úser status' and it's a good push in the right direction.

Album Rating: 2.5

This is clearly the best pop album of the decade.



That is a bold claim. Unless, of course, you meant the decade that has just started. In which case I will tell you that a.) it isn't much of a claim and b.) there's still nine years' worth of pop albums yet to come.



That being said, I sort of liked six of the seven songs you mentioned. It's the rest that bug me. She's done all of it before, and shows zero improvement from the edgier side she displayed on Trip The Light Fantastic, for example.

I came to this thread looking for intelligent conversation, got some, it's a debate. i am flawed however as i don not listen to much pop, please broaden my horizons.

Album Rating: 2.5

I'm surprised you haven't written a word about Make a Scene (the song).



I did actually (I think I refer to it as "the title track" in the review). Unfortunately though, I didn't like it very much. I'm very much open to the idea that I'm wrong however, and am relistening to it as I write this. Obviously it won't change my written review, but I'm more than happy to give it as much of a chance as possible to make a personal impression.

such a diplomat Irving.

Album Rating: 2.5

such a diplomat Irving.



Haha I just raged on your As I Lay Dying review ten seconds ago...you may wish to re-evaluate your opinion on me. I'm sorry, but I really think you could have done better on that one...



Anyway, going back to the topic. @ Banhurt: "Make A Scene" was pretty dull. I'm sorry. And on further listen, even "Magic" seemed to have lost some of its, erm, magic.

Album Rating: 2.5

I love the rating spread for this review. Two 5's, a 2.0, and a 1.0. Clearly, this is either nectar of the gods or mere cat pee.

I gave this a chance because I liked some of her earlier work but meh...
She's no Marina that's for sure.

Album Rating: 2.5

It's pretty meh, isn't it? Thing is, she has been bordering on "meh" for her entire career, and she came really close to breaking out and doing well after Trip The Light Fantastic (I love that album title btw), but this one just sees her stroll right back into meh-land.

she has been bordering on "meh" for her entire career...

...but this one just sees her stroll right back into meh-land.

Album Rating: 2.5

You guys should call me the "Mehster of Puppets."

Davey won't like another 'pun-master'

Album Rating: 2.5

Hahahaha sorry but I just couldn't resist =p

Album Rating: 5.0

This is my first comment, but i've been reading your reviews for a while. I wish to make a few points.



1. I noticed that you have given this album a bad review and later admitted that the album has grown on you (or at least some of the songs). As a reviewer, don't you think you ought to give this album sufficient listens before you give it a bad review? If you are having second thoughts about the album, then you simply must edit your review and point out the positives of this album. Surely 2/5 is a weak rating for an album this good. It is definitely better than that recent album Ms. Spears released. And i'm not even a fan of this Bextor lady. But i recognise good pop music when i hear it.



2. I made the effort to listen to her previous album Trip The Lights Fantastic because everyone on several music forums raved about its excellence and how Make A Scene is such a vast improvement over that album. And i have to agree. This woman has a good ear for pop, and she makes fine pop music - pop that isn't trashy but classy.



3. Having listened to two of her four albums, i have to say that Sophie's strong point is her melody. She makes uber-fantastic ballads - Synchronised and Cut Straight To The Heart are no exceptions. And what a fantastic close it is to an amazing album. It starts with a bang (literally - Bang bang its a hold up) and ends on a with what i think is her best ballad yet (of course, this is my judgement based on her last album and this one)



4. I think you must give some songs a second chance.

Magic - its everything you can expect from a good pop tune. I have never got the hype around Richard X, but if the rest of his productions sound as dreamy as this, i think i should give his music a chance

Make A Scene - The title track steals the show. Its so bonkers. How can you not like this? I have recently gotten into Metronomy's music as well. That Joe Mount is one hell of a talented guy.

Bittersweet/Starlight - the highlights of this album

Dial My Nummber - i think she may be the first popstar in history to have written an electro-pop song about a text stalker. This woman amazes me.



Overall, the album is very good. The only filler is the dire Can't Fight This Feeling. I'd definitely rate it anything over 3.5 if I were you.

Album Rating: 2.5

IsaacItaac, I'm glad you posted. It's refreshing to see a dissenter who doesn't just leave an insult to my intelligence and then bugger off (I also assume you negged - but that's immaterial, really).



In response to your four points:



i.) I noticed that you have given this album a bad review and later admitted that the album has grown on you (or at least some of the songs). As a reviewer, don't you think you ought to give this album sufficient listens before you give it a bad review?



Anything will grow on you if you give it enough of a chance. Does this mean that we should put off reviewing albums till we've played each song fifty times over? No. Does this mean we are obliged to change an opinion written at Time A if our opinion changes in Time B? No. Both sets of ideas are equally as valid and worthy of consideration - and I feel like I have adequately justified myself here in Time A. Moreover, I also judge an album partially based on how quickly it can make a connection and how arresting it is. I think you can at least understand my wanting to use it as a criteria for judging music (especially when it is of the pop genre) - even if you don't entirely agree with it.



And for the record I gave the album sufficient listens before sitting down to pen this review. I - for some unknown reason - decided to return to it a few more times even after penning the piece, and surprise surprise, I discovered that some songs were a bit of a grower. Would it have changed my opinion much? That depends on your definition of "much". I daresay I am willing to lift this to a 3.0, but the key bit of information is that I am absolutely certain this is inferior to Trip The Light Fantastic. This is again, perhaps, justification enough to be a bit harsher in rating.



ii.) I will not deny that Ellis-Bextor can make some amazing pop music. Some of her cuts off her previous albums are among my fave pop songs of all time. But that is neither here nor there.



Points iii and iv are essentially the same thing so I will compress them into the paragraphs below:



(to be continued)

Album Rating: 2.5



iii.) I liked "Synchronised" and "Straight to the Heart" more than I let on in this review. I have no objections to "Magic" and "Bittersweet" either (as you can see we are agreed on more than half of the songs on the album). But it really was too little, too late in my eyes. I will concede this: my breadth of experience with regards to pop music is not the widest. In fact I - like so many on this site - am just learning the ropes of reviewing, and finding out a lot more about myself and my tastes in the process. This does not suggest that my opinion is less valid at all - one does not have to be an expert in a given genre to be able to have a say on it. In fact, that's what makes music-making such a tricky business - one has to learn to rope in others who aren't naturally inclined to the genre.



I guess the point I am trying to make is this: based on your comment, you seem to have a more experienced ear and knowledge base when it comes to pop music. You used that experienced rubric to evaluate this album and you ended up liking it. I came from a different angle and used a different evaluation process, and this album failed rather miserably with it. I set out to write a piece that explained my rubric and my final evaluation of the album, and I think I succeeded.



Thank you for your time and your points. I actually appreciate this discussion very much. It goes without saying that I do hope to hear from you again. It intrigued me when you said that you have read some of my earlier pieces - I will be very interested to note your comments on my writing should I benefit from your attention in the future.



Cheers!