Robert Christgau Word of the Day

apotheosize tr.v. To exalt to the dignity of a deity; to declare to be a god; to deify; to glorify. (dictionary.reference.com)

[At the risk of being pegged as "high and clean," I have to say this is one of my favorite albums.]

Stereolab Dots and Loops [Drag City, 1997]

From folkie soprano to synthesizer tweedle, many young people are down with their validation of high and clean--"Let There Be Flutes," as Bentley Rhythm Ace put it. And on a pretty good track, too, just like Emperor Tomato Ketchup is a fine album. Where us down and dirty types say sayonara is after the high artist peaks. Exploring rather than apotheosizing personal secrets, the high artist is like any other formalist, especially since he, she, or they probably suffered from formalist tendencies to begin with. On this album the tunes fall off and the wacky smarts lose the charm of surprise. There's still plenty of agile bass and clever sonic garbage. But only the high and clean will notice. B (www.robertchristgau.com)