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Will Sheff writes real good

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Ernest:
I enjoyed reading those

a pack of wolves:

--- Quote from: Inlander on 04 Dec 2007, 18:16 ---Now, arguing that he writes in character is perfectly valid, but in that case what allows him to single out anybody else for criticism? How do we know the singers and song-writers whose work he attacks aren't also "in character"?

--- End quote ---

I'd argue that in a certain sense they most definitely are. One problem I have with a lot of music criticism (and art criticism in general, but it's most prevalent in music) is the whole idea of lyrics that come 'from the heart' and are somehow a revelatory doorway into the soul of the artist. This puts the lyricist into the position of the author-god that has imbued the piece with meaning and I think Barthes did a good job of knocking that down. I always think of lyrics as masks even when they're masquerading as something raw and honest, they are in fact masquerading as such in order to present a particular perspective on something. Sometimes this is the artist but I don't think the first-person lyrics of anyone can ever be regarded as anything but 'in character'.

This thread's great, incidentally. Not only did I really like this guy's music criticism (a very rare thing for me) it's made me want to hear Okkervil River quite a lot.

Inlander:
Well, Mr. Sheff has me all confused. In the article we've been discussing he seems incredibly dismissive of Sam Cooke (almost going out of his way to dismiss him as a "smooth crooner and reported rapist"), but in this article he comes across as a big fan. Puzzling!

a pack of wolves:
I'm not sure he dismisses him as such exactly, rather that it suits his argument at that particular time to describe him in that way. He also says that he enjoys John Denver (or at least that he's his favourite soft rock artist) but he attacks him just as much as anyone else in the article. I think it's misleading because in the article he's using Cooke whereas in the interview he's giving his personal feelings towards his work.

Borondir:
I've spent time trying to figure out whether Shef's lyrics are unintentionally mysogynistic, despite the fact I am sure Sheff himself is not, at least consciously.  I did Westfall at an open mic and one of my feminist friends was a little surprised to hear me singing something she thought was obviously misogynistic.  To me, its just part of the country murder ballad tradition, but that has its own problems too.  I don't think Sheff is a misogynist, but is it still dangerous to sing something like Westfall? 

On a different note, his Blackest of the Black article is shocked and conspiratorial at the same time in the way pretty much all, "let me introduce you to the far out world of black metal" articles and documentaries are.  Its a sort of strange glee in letting out this wonderful secret on an unsuspecting audience.  'These guys really mean what they say! They are actually scary! Woooooooaah!' But I guess I am just jaded.

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