You're History

Praise

“Lesley Chow is the best and rarest kind of critic—one who loves to be surprised, and can always surprise you in turn… The emphasis is firmly on aesthetic pleasure, and the book itself is a unique pleasure to read: joyful, witty, knowledgeable, intensely observant, and indifferent to received ideas.” – Jake Wilson, arts critic for The Age and author of Mad Dog Morgan

“By embracing pop’s sonic artifice, its vocal textures and its wordless moments of rapture – too often ignored by other critics – Lesley Chow constructs a new version of pop history. Her assemblage of pop’s ‘hybrid girls’ and wayward women is a sly, original analysis.” – Anwen Crawford, music writer for The Monthly and author of Hole: Live Through This

“Lesley Chow’s sparklingly written book is full of whip-smart wit and electric prose. You’re History isn’t just a work of great criticism: it will make you rethink your understanding of pop music and the strange, sublime sounds of its creators.” – Luke Buckmaster, The Guardian

“Lesley Chow explores the alchemy of pop that comes from breath, sound and lyrics. Her deep dive into these extraordinary women made me feel their music all over again.” – Julia Zemiro, actor and presenter of RocKwiz

“A pure hit of prose pleasure. The writing embodies the polemic, which is refreshing at a time when music criticism has never been so virtuous and so inattentive to the bliss that is pop’s greatest gift.” – Simon Reynolds, 4Columns

“In You’re History, Chow recommends an alternative criticism, driven by curiosity, puzzlement and enjoyment of music without the need to fully explain it.” – Rhian E. Jones, Red Pepper