Music Criticism in 2k9

With the blogosphere rapidly descending into a raucous din of voices, each clambering to be heard over the next, the role of the music critic is fast becoming buried in the cacophony. In fact, the very definition of a critic seems to have evolved into lumbering mutant of criticism, commentary, opinion and (particularly with the increasing prominence of snark blogs), provocation – resulting in the modern day perception of a critic as any bedroom-dweller with a Mac and an axe to grind.

The blurring of the line between criticism and opinion is exacerbated by the sheer volume of words accessible to the average music fan, and this leaves the critic floundering for an anchor in an increasingly deep sea of blogs.

The concept of anchoring is, and has always been, one of the most crucial elements to master when forging a voice on-line. Having a clear and specific motive in which one’s audience can grasp creates a sense of certainty – which with the right content can hopefully lead to familiarity and regular traffic. The problem for critics in two thousand and nine (and one which music journalists from all eras have had to contend) is convincing this base that your opinion is the right one and it should be regarded above the competition.

Whilst not professing to propose a solution to this concept of authority (although there is no doubting it would certainly be a lucrative one!), it is worth contemplating how a critic today makes the transition from one of many to one to watch.

When trawling through one’s bookmarks on the prowl for sonic enlightenment, the most likely lure (apart from the obvious catchy name and design of the page), is the relevance of the review or song being posted. The freshest sounds, the groundbreaking new experimental artist or the exciting new festival line up are consistently the most buzz worthy. The critic’s role therefore, is to not only be a sharer and promoter of content, but a finger for its collective audience to rest on the pulse of the industry – heightening the sense of connection and, crucially, the blogs authority.

It is the well connected blogger who can capitalise on this, making their voice ring out over the rest. Whether what they are actually saying has any more credence than our friend in the bedroom is the worrying question…