Bobshat: Writing my first review, what a some good tips?

Sinternet 04.13.20	track by track so we can read along as we jam use the word "I" a lot to give that personal touch compare the album to tame impala. just do it. if tame impala isn't available, call it "the dark souls of "insert genre" make a cunning witty point about how fucked society is that this is only heard by neets on the internet while the normies listen to lil pump and drake youre 75% of the way there
JohnnyoftheWell 04.13.20	all of the above + please pay attention to pizzamachine's very excellent guide: https://www.sputnikmusic.com/list.php?memberid=426857&listid=190879
JohnnyoftheWell 04.13.20	[but seriously if it's your first time keep your structure, your points clear, your adjectives used only when really necessary, and just try to imagine a stranger reading it the whole time - nail that and you can go places ;]]
JustJoe. 04.13.20	[123]
ajcollins15 04.13.20	Just accept the fact that the first one you do won't be that great since it's your first time. I would use this first time to really explore the structure that you want to take for your reviews, what angles are most important to you in an album you listen to (i.e. production, song structure, lyrics, style, etc.). But, in the words of Anthony Fantano, you are writing a review for a reason. If you find the album good then explain why, if you find the album bad explain why. There is no need for extra frills here
Divaman 04.13.20	Pick an album you feel passionate about one way or the other. You'll have more to say about one you're passionate about than one you're so-so on.
GhandhiLion 04.13.20	What sinternet said. Also If the artist is women the review should be political.
Kompys2000 04.13.20	But if the artist is black metal the review should never under any circumstances be political
TheSupernatural 04.14.20	This might be a weird tip rejected by most of the community, but I like to use "listener" the same way you would use "reader" in a literary analysis (e.g. "this part of the song is a pleasant surprise for listeners"). My reviews up until my last 4-5 all suck but feel free to check them out as they're probably easier to write up than what most of the staff do.
mynameischan 04.14.20	"your adjectives used only when really necessary" do you mean adverbs? how do you write a review without using adjectives?
JohnnyoftheWell 04.14.20	really necessary =/= never at all haha! i find excess/misplaced adjectives are a pretty common theme for earlydays writers
AsleepInTheBack 04.14.20	Reiterating the point already made by ajcollins15, only speak about what you really want to talk about. Dont touch on song structure or the lyrics or particular instruments or songs if thats not what excites you about the record, just because you feel like you're obliged to give a comprehensive analysis of everything about it. I usually try to write down in a para what makes me love or loathe a record, and then just build out the analysis from there.
anat 04.14.20	• Be concise • P.E.E. (point, evidence, explain) is a tried and tested structure • Avoid redundant phrases like "in my opinion", "personally" etc - these are all inherent • I would vehemently reject the above "listeners" tip, again this is completely redundant • If you can't think of a way to wrap up the review, leave it. There's no word count, and tacked-on conclusions like "I am looking forward to seeing what these guys do next" are amateur hour. Imagine if Animal Farm ended with "The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which. Anyway, I've got to go now as it is time for my tea."
anat 04.14.20	And this might be personal preference, but genre theory introductions are ass too
AsleepInTheBack 04.14.20	Referring to the listener is fine imho, not as a habit throught the entire review, but it does suit certain sentences depending on how they're structured. Being concise is king though, agreed.
JohnnyoftheWell 04.14.20	Referring to the listener is fine imho, not as a habit throught the entire review, but it does suit certain sentences depending on how they're structured. [2] "And this might be personal preference, but genre theory introductions are ass too" Agreed on this 95% of the time, the occasional review requires it though (although if so, it'd better be more than just the introduction...)
anat 04.14.20	If your sentence is structured in a way that has to refer to the listener, I'd think about re-structuring so it doesn't need to. I can't think of an example where it'd be necessary. But if I had to, I might use something more inclusive like "your" I guess.
JohnnyoftheWell 04.14.20	depends on the register, sometimes (most of the time) "your" is on the money, sometimes having a sense of distance works better
AsleepInTheBack 04.14.20	I mean you're right, in most cases it could be restructured, but in some it can be to the benefit of the sentence/para flow. Is there anything inherently unprofessional or objectionable about the word, other than the fact that it may sometimes be redundant?
mynameischan 04.14.20	johnny this is a sentence from one of your recent reviews and it's full of adjectives. If Heaven Or Las Vegas is a gorgeous sunset panorama conveyed by a seamlessly shot and very generously budgeted tracking shot that passes through the centre of a beautifully overdeveloped city, Blue Bell Knoll is a morning amble through a frozen meadow in the middle of Highland nowhere. and it's a great sentence! adjectives are necessary. unless i'm missing your point and you're talking about within certain contexts?
AsleepInTheBack 04.14.20	Also agreed with this ^^ I mean, of course I would, given that an excessive use of adjectives is my bread and butter
JohnnyoftheWell 04.14.20	@chan oh for sure - I love adjectives and felt q hypocritical writing that ;] my point is more that I personally went through a LOT of unneeded "mindblowing/amazing/great/nice/[quint]essential"s etc. back in the day before it started to feel natural using them (and I still get ahead of myself sometimes lol) - I guess my comment would have been better expressed as "Adjectives are great, but make sure they fully correspond with what you're trying to get across and aren't just gap-fillers"
anat 04.14.20	Go nuts with adjectives that aren't synonyms for "good" :D
JohnnyoftheWell 04.14.20	that's the one !
anat 04.14.20	I would be remiss to not post my favourite quote about writing: “This sentence has five words. Here are five more words. Five-word sentences are fine. But several together become monotonous. Listen to what is happening. The writing is getting boring. The sound of it drones. It’s like a stuck record. The ear demands some variety. Now listen. I vary the sentence length, and I create music. Music. The writing sings. It has a pleasant rhythm, a lilt, a harmony. I use short sentences. And I use sentences of medium length. And sometimes, when I am certain the reader is rested, I will engage him with a sentence of considerable length, a sentence that burns with energy and builds with all the impetus of a crescendo, the roll of the drums, the crash of the cymbals–sounds that say listen to this, it is important.” That quote has been so, so useful in my writing.
mynameischan 04.14.20	gotcha johnny, that makes more sense and is great advice
AsleepInTheBack 04.14.20	@anateilier great quote. I suck at sentence lengths. its either a 3 word statement or a 50 word, meandering mess. I have no in-between.
Scheumke 04.14.20	- For a first review, don't invent the wheel. Pick a review that you thought was really great and easy to read. Take some time analyzing it. What is the structure? What sentences drew you in and why? how much time is spend on the intro, the specific songs, the conclusion etc. And when you've done that, don't be afraid to just copy it. If it works for you than that is for a reason and there is no harm copying what works. - For later: Don't delete your earlier writings, even if it gets embarrassing to you later on. It will show you your growth as a writer and can identify certain problems with your writing style further down the road. - I don't know if it's mentioned yet, but let someone proof-read it and add remarks. It helps find flaws and pitfalls that you may not be aware of, as well as remove any errors and typo's.