Anything that looks like a typo in what I write has good chances of being actually an intentional deviation.

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The current revision of my rating system:

5.0* — Considering RYM's generally top-hevvy ratings & my eccentric tastes, I've decided to put everything I truly love here, not just that handful of near-flawless albums (let alone dedicating this for those hypothetical "entirely flawless" albums). I suppose I'm contributing to the problem now, but that's tragedy of the commons for you. Oh, and nostalgy points also apply.
4.5* — A regular fave. Never feels out of place, but contains considerable amounts of non-euphoric material, possibly even some serious but generally overlookable fuckups.
4.0* — A fave with flaws. Joyously, laudably good for the most part, but has issues I cannot ignore. Possibly it truly hits the nail at one or two points, or even not at all (in which case there better not be anything else wrong).
3.5* — "Plain good". Doesn't make me want to rush to spew cash and hugs on the artist, but doesn't bore me either. Also for e.g. "good idea, but could have been done better" and "too much filler".
3.0* — Good but flaw'd, not exactly what I'm looking for. Still, the chances are good that something I initially put here starts climbing upwards later. Also for albums with a few magical moments amidst lots of crap.
2.5* — Still not bad, but really not what I'm looking for. Starts feeling like a chore to lis'n.
2.0* — By this point I just don't care anymore.
1.5* — Frankly sucks. Strangely, the albums here so far are from artists I generally respect; might be because those are the only artists whose discographies I've probed in more detail, or exactly because I expect much better of them.
1.0* — Gets worse every time I play it. As I generally don't want to play 1.5* albums, this category is bound to stay slim.
0.5* — Reserved for material causing actual pain. I aim never to listen thru a full album this bad, tho likely they exist.

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My ratings are 100% mine, canonicity be damned.