Tow #13 - Pitchfork Review of "Chumped" by Teenage Retirement by Devon Maloney (Written text)

Pitchfork is notorious for their blatantly truthful album reviews, and reviewer Devon Maloney does not disappoint with his review of "Chumped" by Teenage Retirement. A few days before its release, Maloney reviewed the album and gave it 7.3 out of 10 points, letting fans know this is not an album they want to miss. Foremost, the jargon he uses especially connects with readers. Most interestingly, he gives a title to a feeling we all know to be true, "umami: that moment in a song when your feelings explode, whether you want them to or not" (1). No matter what genre the reader is a fan of, they can instantly relate and can infer that "Chumped" will give them this feeling of euphoria as well. He also references different bands and albums similar to "Chumped". The album parallels other artists in the way that "there are times when their licks was Weezereque [...] and in several instances ("Long Division") they channel Aye Nako's confessional" (1). By relating it to other artists, the fans of those bands instantly think, "if they're similar to my favorite band, why wouldn't I enjoy their album?" In this way, he effectively convinces his readers that "Chumped" is an album worth listening to. Another act of brilliance not only by Devon Maloney but all Pitchfork staff members is that when reviewing an album, they include a small snippet of whatever album they are reviewing. In this case, they include about 30 seconds of "Novella Ella Ella Eh" and "Hot 97 Summer Jam", both of which he reviews specifically in the review. This method tells the reader, "here, listen, and see that I know what I am talking about." The reader can hear that they like the album for themselves, and then read that the author likes it as well, so it ultimately credits the author for his opinion on the rest of the album. Through detailed jargon, references, and sampling, Devon Maloney upholds Pitchfork's reputation as a brilliant review website in his review of "Chumped" by Teenage Retirement.