Think about your favourite writers and why they are your favourite writers

Write a review, not liner notes. If you don't know what the difference is, you probably shouldn't be writing reviews.

There's rarely a good reason for ending a review with the words "Recommended", "Highly recommended" or "Album of the year". This is generally either superfluous, hyperbole, totally lacking in resonance to the reader or some combination of the year.

Don't bang on about the accompanying press release. No one else gives a toss about it.

The "gem" is a much-abused valuable, the "real gem" even more so, and the "hidden gem" perhaps most of all. If you are determined to compare albums/songs/anything at all to precious stones, please find a novel one.

Use MS spellcheck

...I could go on all day, but if music journalism (folk, rock, jazz, classical, you name it...) did all of the above, the world would be a much happier place.