Rating System:
One Star- When confronted with a new artist, group, genre I firstly want to understand the point they/he/she is attempting to communicate. As much, most albums lack the ability to accomplish this effectively and in an appropriate manner. Thus most ratings will inevitably fall within this category and furthermore their value is thereby recognized as Kitsch. With a misplaced intention the album can go array very quickly and the form of the art is misrepresented altogether.

Three Stars- Albeit the spacial relation from one to three is quite vast on RYM, my three star ratings only vary insofar as the intentions of the artist/group are more near the target or are/were conscious of their place in the world. This makes the albums more enjoyable for me knowing that the artist(s) have at least considered what their craft is and its implications.

Four Star- The addition of the "filler" qualifier in the four star category speaks to the ability of an album/artist to communicate effectively to the listener and remained focused on one topic for the duration of an album which is a rare thing to find. While it can be argued that there is filler on every album and that you are hard pressed to find any complete album, these four star albums almost make the cut. This makes the albums in the four star category distinguished from most other albums.

Five Star- Whether it is a single or a box set, the artist has given themselves a certain amount of time to say something to the listener. These five star albums get the job done and in the appropriate manner. As the old adage goes: "the cream rises to the top" holds true for these five star ratings. While I want to maintain that no album is perfect, the music that receives a five star rating has little to no filler, while keeping the listener engaged, and making a strong point that will leave an impression on the individual.