Review

The Wire has a bit of a problem on 

its hands: many of its own writers are themselves artists who make music
that this magazine covers. At once the situation is a conflict of interests, and 

a testament to how close to the music these writers are, how embedded in 

their respective scenes they’ve become. For the ten years Keith Moliné has been writing for The Wire, he’s also been playing guitar and bass in Pere Ubu. 

In addition, he’s appeared live as a solo performer and produced several CDs under his own name. Crrritic! provides
another layer to the complicated questions of ethics and perspective 

in music journalism. The CD consists
of two computer based compositions: 

the first, I Only Asked, contains processed recordings of Moliné
questioning interview subjects for features in this magazine. It begins 

with the words, “Um... Wha, wha, um... Wha, what’s the concept behind that?” His voice quickly dissolves into a swirling mass of stuttering DSP. The second, Hatchet Job, is barely discernible as speech although the source beneath
all the processing is the text of every negative review Moliné has written for The Wire. So how do I review this release? Well, Moliné has already done my job for me. By writing about it am

I simply adding another layer to the prank? Or am I falling into the trap he’s set for me? The jokey spelling of the 

title – perhaps a reference to riot grrrl!
— suggests Moliné thinks there’s 

a possibility for radical politics, or at least some incendiary potential, in criticism, but I think the album would be more
complicated if the words weren’t just 

a meaningless blur. It would be more satisfying to hear him really pan some records. But then again, I have my biases.

William Hutson in The Wire