On the Record: Music Journalists on Their Lives, Crafts, and Careers

Music critic Hilleary interviews a wide range of fellow critics and journalists in this enlightening if occasionally repetitious collection. He approaches such topics as the way they each got their start in music writing, their approaches to interviewing artists, and their thoughts about pursuing their craft as a career. Reflecting on the role of music in their lives, Hanif Abdurraqib says music was always “a soundtrack to my daily movements,” and Jessica Hopper connects her love of punk rock to her social activism and “will for disruption.” NPR’s Ann Powers attributes her career to an interview with Lester Bangs she completed for a high school assignment, while Chuck Klosterman candidly admits that the biggest contributor to his career has been “luck.” A recurring theme is that critics love interviewing artists because the conversations reveal, as Bonnie Stiernberg phrases it, “the heart of the artist.” Ben Ratliff describes how, since artists can be tight-lipped about their work, often “what a critic says about a work is more interesting than what the artist might say. Because they place it in a context—that’s their job.” If there’s a complaint here, it’s that Hilleary asks each subject the same questions, so the narrative can feel redundant at times. Even so, these candid takes on the craft of criticism provide valuable insights for both music lovers and aspiring critics. (Sept.)