Order Description
Article assignment #1: Album Review
the album to review is High hopes from bruce Springsteen
Overview
Thus far we have learned about the keys to quality criticism and read numerous examples of music criticism. We’ve listened to our album (hopefully time and time
again), researched our artists—their history, lyrics, demographics and deeper contexts, e.g.—and put together pitches with the intention of convincing our peers (read:
editors) that the album is worthy of a review; that the album matters.
Now it’s time to put this all together and write a review of your album. It’s easy to get caught up in context and other information surrounding your album, but
remember: a critique comes from you, beginning with your visceral responses and emotional reactions to the music, so start there. How you find yourself attached to the
music, and how you make sense of it—i.e. what is influencing that—will go a long way in your work to evaluate the album.
Details and Guiding Questions
Your article must include the following:
• A clear expression of your opinion that informs the reader as to whether or not he/she should buy the album.
• Effective utilization of the four elements of a critique: description, context, interpretation and evaluation.
Consider the following questions or points when crafting your article
• Evoke a feeling in your review, establish a voice and flow that will win the reader over.
• What activity do you ideally do when listening to the album? What isn’t it good for?
• Is there a song that sticks out to you as the apex of the album? Why is this so?
• If there are lyrics, how do they inform the melody or album as a whole, or give insight to the artist?
• What’s up with the artwork for the album cover, or an accompanying music video?
• What is the cultural significance of this album, i.e. why will it matter to some people, and what influence might it have, musically, on other albums?
• What is the artist’s musical past, and why does this matter? Are there interviews that exist about your artist that you can utilize?
• Is there a different between the way(s) that you’ve interpreted the album and the way(s) that the artist interprets their album?
• (Fill me in!)
• (Fill me in, too!)
you do not need any sources just do your research about the album and just write what you think of it