We review as many of the records we are sent as possible - the only reason we will not review something is due to space restrictions or if we have already sufficiently covered the record as part of another feature (ie live review or interview feature).
We award the disc symbol in units of 1-5 to indicate how good we think it is, 5 indicating an essential addition to anyone's record collection. Music is judged on two criteria levels - how good it is, and how much we like it.
The disc symbol will usually indicate a measure or both. A record is perceived as "good" if it fulfils the artistic criteria of being urgent, subtle, concise, robust, imaginitive, evocative, innovative and mood enhancing/altering. A truly exceptional record possesses the power to completely alter your mood. A very "bad" record will make no impact whatsoever and you might actually forget it is playing whilst you are listening to it. A "bad" record is derivative, uninspired, with little to distinguish it from its peers.
There are four types of music: the truly brilliant, the truly awful, the quite-like-it-but-not-enough-to-buy-the-album and the could-do-better. Our policy is to reflect this in our reviews, with the full strength of our vitriol reserved for the could-do-betters. There are great bands (Neurosis, 4 Hero, Phillip Glass) that we happen not to enjoy. These will be reviewed fairly and honestly ("It's great but I don't like it"). There are terrible bands (Steps, Marilyn Manson) that we happen to love ("It's awful but I love it") and there are OK bands that we half-like ("Good dance-floor fillers").
But if we detect one whiff that you haven't tried - a single indication that you really can't be bothered with all this, that you only joined the band to get laid, that you are content to release a record that isn't the very, very best that you could possibly do...
That is the one thing that we will lay into. It's not worth hating the Spice Girls. It's worth hating Gomez and all their lazy, pointless, unimaginitive ilk. If you can't justify your existence as a band, then why do you expect kids to spend their pocket money on your worthless trash?
That is our policy. Like it or
buy Gomez.