Indier Than Thou: Sophomore Slump

Monday, December 04, 2006

Sophomore Slump

The new Killers' first six songs off their new album are alright. The same can be said for Bloc Party's latest effort. Sad to say, but it's also the truth. Is this opinion borne merely of the disconnect between my expectations and the result or is it grounded more in objective reality? Well, given that music is an inherently subjective experience, it would have to be the former. So are the standards I am holding these bands to unfair or unreasonable? Perhaps, but there's little that can be done about that.

Labels:

6 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Well, I'd suggest that the problem isn't that you're holding them to unreasonable standards, but that you're posting an article that both presents an "the truth" and then suggests an "inherently subjective experience."

This isn't to debate your propositions (though I would argue that both are better than 'alright' - voiding my previous statement) but to point out the difficulties of reviewing art in general, and that you can't both assume subjectivity and also post to a blog intended to review music in such a way that it is intended to mean something to anybody but yourself.

This is to say, you sort of question the concept of music review (and art review in general) within your post, and bring into question the entire purpose of this blog.

5:09 AM  
Blogger ____________________ said...

Sigh!!!!
C'mon kids, don't you remember philosohy class at all?

Ok, 1) To suggest the subjectivity of some standard is not to assert that the standard is subjective.
2)Claiming that some standard is subjective does not make that standard subjective.
3) Giving public reasons for some standard makes it accessible to all, so we don't have anything approaching thorough-going subjectivity. We have either objectivity or intersubjectivity.
4)To acknowledge that there is an inherently subjective element to our experience of music does not mean that we have no means of criticising or praising it.

OK? So tell the people about what your experience was, and don't worry about subjectivity. Maybe they had a similar experience, and if not, trust them enough to make up their own minds.
-kit

7:42 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

hello

Firstly, I would like to void and then reevaluate my previous post; I was drunk.

I completly agree with proposition 4, and it isn't my intent (now) to suggest otherwise. There is certainly a "real" existence to music that is open to qualitative analysis.

I suppose the problem I had with this post was that it did no such thing - it basically says that given a specific mindset, the albums in question are unsatisfactory, which isn't really critique or analysis.

Assuming that point 2 isn't more complex than I think it is, the only point I'm having difficulty with is 1, because I'm not clear on the significance of the distinction between "suggesting the subjectivity of something" and "asserting that something is subjective," or maybe more accurately, the distinction between "subjectivity of" and "being subjective," and seek clarification.

-john

5:26 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

My roommate's ex-girlfriend knows not only knows Bloc Party but has had them over at a (house) party of hers. So who's cool now!

This is Chris (Kit's friend). Kit: more posts on your blog please!

Two degrees from cool,
Chris

4:49 PM  
Blogger ____________________ said...

John, no worries. I only meant (with point 1) that Panda can say all is subjective all he wants, but this doesn't make it true. It was less of a point than my usual belligerent self coming through.
Thanks Chris... I will try, but I work retarded hours.
-kit

8:20 PM  
Blogger Panda said...

The charitable explanation of my post was that I was aiming at inter-subjectivity and acknowledging that those not privy to the same experiences would likely disagree with me in that I found these albums to be massive disappointments given these bands' previous efforts. Bloc Party seems to have replaced fun with earnestness, and earnestness, in a british accent, annoys me.

7:11 PM  

Post a Comment

<< Home