How to Review a Music Album
- 1). Listen to the album from all perspectives. Perhaps you are a person who hates pop music. You cannot review a compact disc from only your perspective. You must be objective if you want to do a fair and accurate review of a music album.
- 2). Even if you do not like an album as a whole, there may be one song on the album that jumps out and grabs your heart. Keep in mind that you should point out what you love about the album, as well as what you think is wrong about it. Listen to each song a few times before committing the judgment of the song in the review. You may not want to list each and every song in the review itself, but you want a well-rounded opinion when mentioning specific songs.
- 3). Judge an album for its creativity. Perhaps the singer is tone deaf. You may have to ultimately give the album a thumbs down, but true creativity, passion and talent should be given a mention. The negative can outweigh the positive overall, but the merits of an album should be fully addressed.
- 4). Write a detailed account of the overall album. Bring three to five specific songs into this area of the review, but make sure that the album itself is the focus.
- 5). Include the theme, mood and overall impression of the album in your article when possible. These are missing from many reviews, but these facts can help a listener who is on the fence. If one is looking for a party album, knowing what they are likely to get from a CD will help sway the consumer vote.
- 6). Compare the work to that of others in the same genre and with the same (or more) experience. You may find that emulation has played a part in many of the songs and styles of the album. You may find that this is worth a mention. Be careful to avoid making abstract judgments and comparisons. If you are going to make a bold claim, back it up with concrete facts.
- 7). Read what the critics write in major newspapers and in online columns. Reading what is published and respected will give you the best idea about how to be a well-rounded critic. You want to be forceful and bold in your opinion, but you don't want to be cruel or needlessly harsh. Informing the buying public honestly, objectively and efficiently about a music album is what your job is when doing a review.
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