I considered dispensing of a rating system altogether as people inevitably get hung up on the rating rather than engaging with the actual review. Giving art a score is inherently silly, there’s no formula for this shit, and nobody talks like that in real life (FYI – if you are decimalising your opinion on an album, then you’re a fucking dork and need to get over yourself).
But, I also concede that I’m as guilty as anybody else in being a bit lazy and sometimes just wanting a quick indicator of how good something is. So, my compromise is a somewhat self-explanatory/somewhat vague three-tier rating system.
‘Not for me’ is the bottom tier. That might range from total shit to just a bit average, but ultimately it means not recommended. I deliberately kept the wording kind of soft as I don’t believe in the critic as some greater authority; this is all subjective, just because I don’t like something doesn’t mean you shouldn’t (although you will have to deal with having bad taste).
‘Decent’ is recommended but with an acknowledgment of its flaws. Think of the albums that are a bit too long (that’s the majority of albums ever BTW), or the good tunes let down by clunky lyrics. Most of the music I like would fit here, so this is very much intended as more positive than average.
‘Proper good’ is the top tier. It doesn’t necessarily mean without flaws as I don’t really believe in the idea of a perfect record, but some records are so good that you ignore any flaws. There’s probably only a handful of albums every year I’d put in this category. A wholehearted recommendation.
No Frills Reviews 