Louder Than The Music

LTTM reviewer Suzanne Physick talks about what she looks for in an album...

I am a self confessed wannabe; if you've read many of my reviews you will know that I am the first to admit that. So you may wonder where I get off reviewing the music of those who have actually managed to record an album. The truth is, up to a few months ago I would have said the same thing. But then I read something on a songwriter's forum encouraging critique which said 'if you have an opinion you have a critique'.

I guess I mention my status so much because I want to emphasize at every opportunity the fact that my review of an album is merely my opinion and should not be taken as a fact. You can notice from the different reviewers on LTTM just how different music can be for different people. Even if the recording artist themselves reviewed their album; it couldn't be the definitive review. People look to music for different things so no one opinion on an album is ever going to be the truth of the album.

Some people just want background noise so they don't have to deal with silence; some want something to make them dance round the house while completing boring chores. Others want music that somehow seems to speak the words of their hearts in a way they could never verbalise for themselves. Still others just want to hear something that tells them they are not alone.

Me? I want music to inspire me; I want it to relax me, to stir me to action and to quietly speak truths into my subconscious. I want music to sometimes help me escape my reality and other times help me to cope with it. I want to be pushed into another world created by the soundtrack I am listening to. I want music to make me sit in my car or stop me from leaving the house for that extra couple of minutes because I just can't turn a song off.

I want music that can be all of these things. Songs which can just lift my mood and get my feet taping some days and put a smile on my face because of a cute melody another day but then still speak to me on a whole other level one day even when I have heard it a million times before.

I guess I say all of this to point out that music should be personal. It's great if a review can spur you to give an album the chance to speak to you but if it speaks to me and not you or to you and not me, neither one of us is wrong. Music should be too personal for someone to dictate what we do or don't listen to. It should be as personal as our friendships or marriages because we all come to it wanting something different and I just praise the Lord that there is enough music out there that everyone can be satisfied.

Suzanne