Music critics are guides, not prophets

As an IU student, music aficionado and yes, Pitchfork writer, I’d like to take issue with the lack of agency that Anna Piontek assumes of Pitchfork readers (“Pitchfork Debacle,” July 26). The idea that they “walk into local record stores like zombies,” while no doubt a bit facetious, also calls into question their integrity. As a writer who regularly gets a dozen e-mails a week from disgruntled and pleased readers, I’m well-aware that they have the capability to make up their own minds and make their purchasing decisions accordingly. That said, I don’t see anything wrong whatsoever with people taking Pitchfork recommendations to the record store, nor do the artists (an important consideration Piontek missed). Although I’d stop way short of simply recommending Pitchfork as a tip sheet, that’s one function it serves. I put a lot of time into my reviews, and I hope readers glean something aside from “you should buy this.” I suppose I hold the readership in higher regard. \nPiontek writes “In order to forge new ground, art needs momentum outside what other people might have to say about it.” Would she prefer art, music in this case, stay in the exclusive domain of the artists themselves? Does art even exist if not talked about? \nCritics are but one spot on the art appreciation continuum – when they see/hear/taste something that moves them, they write or speak about that sensation; others might create their own art in response, or after being inspired. \nPitchfork is a popular critical outlet; one of the few widely read publications that publishes extensive music reviews. It does not, however, exert a fascistic grip on the hearts and minds of its readership or the artists who create the music. \nPersonally, the greatest benefit of writing for Pitchfork is the extensive conversations that arise from those who feel as passionately about a record in the other direction, and who e-mail and talk to me about it. This is why Piontek’s sentiment rubs me the wrong way: the vibrancy of any art form relies upon “what other people might have to say about it”!