What I like and what I need are two different things

“Freudian Vacation" is a term I coined as sort of an immunization to a lot of the rock criticism that we’ve seen for as long as there has been music writing. People often use their pulpit as writers to vent their own psychological baggage, often at the expense of the artist and his work. Sometimes its an insecurity about image and style. Or the venting of one’s inability to actually play or create music that lives up to personal ambition or the lofty standards set by other artists. It can even be the insecurity of a writer to just find their own voice and speak freely enough to seem comfortable talking about the works of others.

Articles become more Freudian than analytical and lend more weight to the writer than the music. Naturally, there are many great writers who give stunning insight and they're to be commended. On the music blogs as well, there’s a lot of selfless championship of new artists which has become vital in recent years. Not all of these musicians are on the top of their game, but having a chance to break through on their own terms is an invaluable tool in an age of big label strength.

Maybe my point is best made by putting forward an actual example. Check out Pitchfork’s review for Le Loup‘s most recent LP. We won’t get into the specifics of the actual record, or even the person who wrote this review. Suffice to say, it gives the short end of the stick to the musicians and turns into more of an op-ed column about the writer’s everyday view rather than what Le Loup have attempted on the record. I apologize in advance for a “mission statement” post. But by making the purposes of these writings clear we can define the parameters of the blog and strike up a better conversation. Tomorrow we’ll have fun.