Found the new Atmosphere the other day, Mi Vida Local. Streamed it a bunch. It was speaking to me; with the groove, to my soul, causing me to do all sorts of thinking. It was completely sounding good when it first hit me.
But just how good is it? Answer: it doesn’t fucking matter.
I found myself searching Pitchfork for the review. Was it good enough for “Best New Music?” (Hard to say!) It wasn’t reviewed yet. That a bad sign? Is it going to be reviewed? His other albums, not the best reviews. Okay, but not great. Except When Life Gives You Lemons, that was a 7.0.
Again, it doesn’t matter.
I’m at a internet impasse. Yes, it is insanely valuable given my business; the connection, the sharing, the access. But it is has some serious draw backs. Most notably, the rating of EVERYTHING. I am really tired of it all. Rotten Tomatoes, Pitchfork, Skip the Dishes, Booking.com, You Tube, Dribbble, Facebook, and the like. Regardless of all the numbers and stars being thrown at me, there are movies, albums, food, videos, and designs I like that have terrible ratings.
Maybe that’s one of the many reasons I love Spotify. It simply presents me with things. For example, the new album by Atmosphere, I search, click, listen. And there isn’t a rating in sight. I’m able to enjoy without being infected by some amalgamation of bullshit clicks by bullshiters who I probably wouldn’t like if I met in real life anyway. That’s how I’ve started thinking about the people behind ratings. Just a collection of jerks and assholes who feel like their taste matters in some profound way. To all those jerks, it doesn’t. Move on from the rating. Enjoy the feeling. Next!
