Discussion: Artistic Work and The Numerical Rating System

Often after a critic has given their thoughts on some album they will then summarize their impressions with a numerical rating. 8/10. 5 stars. Four SadDogs™ out of five. You're familiar with this sort of thing I'm sure. This system is great for consumers (or whatever else you'd call us) as it gives them an instant and quantifiable way of knowing whether something is good or not. But how useful is this number when you consider that they are judging art? I'm sure most of you are guilty of having gone online when your most favouritest band...

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Budamunk & Joe Styles - Soul Quest

Feels like: cool, stylish, chill, witty, humorous, soulful, compassionate This album is a collaboration between beat producer Budamunk and rapper and songwriter Joe Styles whom both come together to make a really cool hip hop album. The beats are chill like in old hip hop but also filled weird quirks like in new internet age hip hop. Styles also...

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Impressions on: Ludique - The Road

Feels like: relaxed, calm, mysterious, introspective, spacious, solemn This is an interesting album that took my fancy by meshing the ideas and sensibilities of ambient and downtempo music with the beats and structures of dance music. Not to say we haven't all seen this before but this album really has a charming sound of its own with plenty of...

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Impressions on: Vanilla - Sweet Talk

Feels like: cool, maximal, chill, noon, stylish, soulful, young This is an album that I initially took interest to based on a really great first few tracks. However, this 27 track behemoth really runs its steam out sooner rather than later and could afford to lose a lot of tracks, or perhaps is serves better as a compilation than a coherent album....

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Impressions on: Shinpainai - Idle

Feels like: angsty, young, energetic, gritty, clumsy, angry, melancholy This extremely brief 3 track, 8 minute long, debut from Shinpainai offers a lot of the anger of punk and a lot of the upset of indie in a very catchy package. Bright and infectious synth lines, loud distorted guitars, flimsy vocals and lyrics filled with angst and frequent corny...

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Impressions on: York Morgan - EP001

Feels like: gloom, fun, in the city, strange, innocent, introspective, personal EP001 offers us a rather short but very inspired and sweet experience filled with wondrous synth lines, fantastic use of chopped up vocal samples on top of beats inspired my modern trap and future beat style music, only with less loudness and excitement, replaced by...

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Impressions on: Andrew Lahiff - Intangible Imbrications

Feels like: cold, quiet, slow, relaxing, somber, mysterious, magical, lonely This is an album that I found today by Andrew Lahiff who put this album together from a bunch of ambient pieces he had made over the last few years. The result is surprisingly coherent considering the album is more of a compilation than a focused effort. The album cover...

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