“The whole album has a clear, crisp sound, and a new sheen of consummate professionalism that really gives the songs a big boost.”

Patrick Bateman

I run a review series called Consummate Professionalism (ConPro, for short). I take undiscovered albums and music records and give them an honest, in-depth, thorough review.

Originally, I focused only on reviews for writing and works of literature. But I have expanded my repertoire to include works of music as well. I’ve seen way too many records that were absolutely great in every way get completely overlooked, simply because the creator didn’t have enough funds or experience to market their own work. I’ve seen people who create amazing works for nothing more than their passion for the art itself, lose confidence because they don’t have enough feedback to tell them otherwise. Even with more notable creators, I’ve seen them lose faith in their abilities and sweep some of their deep-cuts under the rug because they didn’t have as much commercial success. I’ve seen these things happen to so many great people–great artists–and I knew I had to do my part. 

Such is the purpose of ConPro. No sponsorships. No affiliate links. No bias. Nothing but honesty, transparency, and thoughtfulness. Art is subjective, but I intend to make my reviews as comprehensive as possible, covering all types of music listeners, and all types of genres. Anyone, from the casual background-noise listeners to the most dedicated musical connoisseurs, will be able to read and appreciate my reviews, and hopefully take something positive away from it. I hope to bring the same passion and energy that Patrick Bateman had listening to music in the iconic scene from American Psycho. Minus the murder, of course.

FAQ

Important Note: All scores are calculated using a linear grading system; 0% is the worst, 100% is the best, and 50% is considered average. This is NOT an academic grading system, where anything lower than a 60% is considered “bad” or a “failing grade”.

Q: What kind of music do you review?
A: I review music collections and records. Mostly, this means albums, EPs, LPs, and mixtapes. As of right now, I do NOT review singles, demos, or similar standalone tracks.

Q: What genres of music do you review?
A: I review most genres of music! Though I’ll review any record at my own discretion, there are a few genres that I usually tend to avoid. There is no hardline exclusion that I won’t review under any circumstances, though.

Q: Can you review my music?
A: Absolutely! The best way to reach me would be to send me a message via my contact form. Include your name, relevant information about the music, and a link to where I can listen to or buy it.

Q: What criteria/guidelines do you use for reviewing my music?
A: Writing my reviews is based on a variety of criteria, separated into a few categories

• Overall Rating—an all-encompassing score based on a combination of all other scores. (1 to 100)
• Base Scores—a series of scores based on factors that are integral to creating any record. (1 to 10)
  • Song Quality—the standalone quality of each of the individual songs included on the record.
  • Technical Quality—how well the song is produced; how high-quality the audio is, how balanced the treble and bass are, how well the music theory is incorporated, etc.
  • Flow/Transition—how smoothly or naturally the record transitions from one track to the next. This also includes how good the order of the songs is.
  • Lyrics—the quality of the lyrics/spoken words throughout the record. This includes the meaning, subtext, poetic merit, and other important aspects of lyricism.
• Bonus Scores—A series of scores which are secondary to the Base Scores. While they don’t factor as heavily into the Overall Rating, they’re still notable aspects that are good for listeners to know. (1 to 5)
  • Tell-a-friend—how conversation-worthy the record is; how much it invokes discussion and interest.
  • Originality—how distinct and unique the record is overall.
  • Replay Value—how well the record makes you want to listen to it again.
  • Best Track—the single track that is best in quality compared to all of the other tracks.
  • Comparable to—other artists whose music is similar to that of the artist that created the record in question.
  • Vibes—descriptive words and phrases that describe the thoughts, feelings, and emotions the record conveys.

More questions will be added in the future!