Reverb :: Tuning the 'Fork

So has anyone else been noticing the glut of uber-positive reviews being doled out on Pitchfork recently? They've been handing out those "Best New Music" and "Recommended" tags like candy on Halloween. After denoting a total of zero albums worthy of the Best New Music tag in December, the 'Fork has bestowed the gracious honor upon five releases in January, with Deerhunter, Of Montreal, Deerhoof, Menomena and Sally Shapiro garnering the much-coveted label. In January '06, Pitchfork slapped the label only on Boris' Pink.

And for the Recommendations? A mere four, but that makes a combined nine albums that P-Fork is pushing. Two questions pop up:

1. With the dearth of searing, low-score reviews lately, is Pitchfork going soft?

2. Who wants to take bets on when we'll be seeing features on Deerhunter and Sally Shapiro in indie rags raving about the "Next Big Thing?" The over/under is four months.