A Comparative Mirror

Comparison is a tool used by a lot of critics. In some respects its a lazy tool, like putting together Ikea furniture with an electric screwdriver. And, in just the same way, it's useful. Giving a more well-known basis for comparison for a sound or a sight can intrigue a reader into giving something a look and in a way that's your job as a critic: to explain to the uninitiated the background behind the artist, the piece, and what to expect when you experience that piece. It doesn't make sense to review a Coldplay record without at least touching on their obvious sonic touchpoints (Radiohead, U2, blah blah blah).



My problem with comparison in criticism-- my problem with criticism in general-- is when it becomes personal.