Album Review: General Assignment Instructions
General Information
Building on your music analysis skills, you will review a record of your choice. Please choose a new album that inspires you (January first of last year – Today!), in order to express yourself as a critic. You can have a positive reaction to a record, a negative one, or, more likely, a combination of positive and negative feelings about a record. Given that there is a story behind every album, it is up to you to research the group, label, and/or producer’s history in the music world. You should also be aware of the perceptions of this artist in the popular realm and how this album upholds (or not) expectations. The album should have been released in the last year The record can represent any genre of music. Go to allmusic.com , you can explore new releases, listen to sound clips, and find out what albums in a particular genre have been released in the last year.
Here is a great link to a “How To” site for record reviews. Here are some examples of great reviews:
Ian Cohen’s review of GZA’s Liquid Swords: Chess Box Deluxe Edition and a review of DIIV’s Oshin.If you would like to see some of writer excellent Douglas Wolk’s work as a blogger (with a focus on music) please visit his website.
Formatting and Submission Guidelines
Your essay should be 3-4 pages, doubled-spaced, and typed in 12-point Times, Arial, or Cambria font with 1” margins on each side of the page. Feel free to write in more informal, “fun” language of a critic – with no fluff! Include media and images to enhance your arguments. (It’s okay if your media pushes you over the page limit a bit, especially if you decide to incorporate throughout your review, as opposed to including only at the end.) Under no circumstances will emailed submissions be accepted. Please submit directly to Canvas. Please cite all source material appropriately (MLA, Chicago, APA – your style choice!) and carefully proof-read your work.
Required Content
Introduction: This section has an exciting opening hook and clearly sets up the import and relevance of record and focus for review. (1 paragraph)
Frame/Context for Record: This section discusses the artist and their known body of work. This section must include an outside source (cited correctly): a previous review of the artist’s pre-existing work. Please do not include a review of the record you’re reviewing, but a review over one of their earlier records. This review should help you reflect on the artist’s relevance in today’s musical world, while also providing a comparative frame for their new record. (2-3 paragraphs)
Personal Spin on the Record: This is your take on the record. You should try to reflect back on the meanings and goals of the record, and what you find successful (or unsuccessful). What do you like about the record? What tracks stand out to you? How do these tracks support your take on the record? You should have a detailed discussion of at least two tracks, where you describe their sound and how they support your take on the record. Your discussion of each “track” should contain 2-3 specific, appropriate music elements. Incorporate elements that Ratliff discusses throughout his book, referencing his book, Every Song Ever, at least twice specifically in your review. (2-3 paragraphs)
Final Thoughts: This section discusses the meaning/power of the album in today’s cultural context by comparing it to other poets/ musicians and considers where you see that artist “going.” How does this record “stack up” to previous work and other artists? (2-3 paragraphs)
Media: You must include at least 4-5 pieces of media to enhance your review. This media could be album artwork, images of the artist, links to songs/music videos that resonate with your review, etc. Please carefully caption all artwork. You can include the media throughout your review, or just include it all at the end. The media will not count towards your page length. If media cause your essay to extend over 4 pages, don’t worry.
Grading Rubric
Album Reviews are graded using the following rubric.