And I have quirks aplenty, lemme tell ya. That said, I think any fair critic will approach a new piece of music with an open mind and no devious agenda. I don't think I've ever overlooked a really good song because I've been in a funk. In fact, a really good song will usually lift my spirits, and that's when you know you're listening to something worthwhile. That said, I will also confess that listening to a stack of truly odious CDs will often put me in a sour state.
Any emotional reaction is better than indifference.
A critic who no longer feels curiosity or passion for music should collect the gold watch and go home. I started listening to them basically because back in the early-mid nineties they sounded different from anything I'd every heard before, and it was a welcomed change. In general, critics have seemed to prefer their later work, which I've found much less original. I'm not a huge fan of Everyday and feel that any band could have put it out. It's missing much of what I loved about Remember Two Things and Under the Table and Dreaming.