Derek is likely in a deep depression over the stunning, and yes, immensely satisfying, Grey Cup victory by our beloved Argos this past weekend. Or more accurately, not the win itself so much as Kyle's enjoyment thereof. See you at the parade big guy?

So new topic. I spent last week listening to the Elliot Smith disk almost exclusively, and after multiple repetitive listens (something I do all too rarely these days, though I'm trying to change my stripes), I've decided it's among his best recordings, rivalled only by XO. It's a very different animal then his previous ones, and of course we'll never know how fully realized it is, but I think it's brilliant. Increasingly the big boomy drums, layered discordant guitars and growly fuzz bass are working for me in the context of Smith songs. They add depth to the sadness and angst that is at the core of his music. Taken at face value, he was apparently re-inventing himself on this disk, going back towards his Heatmiser days (on the "rock" songs anyway), and the four or five harder songs are among his best - Coast to Coast, King's Crossing, Shooting Star, Don't Go Down. On the other hand, the still-plentiful ES quiet confessional material is equally beautiful - Twilight, Memory Lane, and maybe the best song on the record, A Fond Farewell.

But enough. Safe to say, I like it a lot.

So, to my question. I made the mistake of reading the Pitchfork review before buying and listening to the album, and was inevitably refering back to its (often misguided, ill-informed, or just plain wrong) comments as I listened. As a result it took me longer to like the album than it deserved , and ultimately, I got a little pissed at Pitchfork for dashing off such a piece of crap review and almost marginalizing the record for me.

In this context, the question is I asked myself is, am I too guilty of letting reviewers tell me what's good, particularly in music (I'm less likely to be fooled by a movie or book review) and do I truly listen to music openly once the reviewers have "told" me what it's about and what to like or not like? It seems to me we're all in search of the quick hit to good music with our busy lives (mea culpa anyway), and at times are over-using or over-valuing critical info as a means of getting there. Has the web made review a lost art (or at least diluted it down)?

Your thoughts.