I can pretty much always tell instantly that it’s a no, or if it’s a this is going to be great. Personally I think that there is a narrower spectrum for me than with other genres, in that that middle group of maybes is smaller.
I’ve posted before that as I get older it takes ‘more’ for me to go wow and know it’s a keeper. Maybe that’s just because I’ve heard so much that it needs more special to hook me, or maybe (and this is my belief), the fact that it’s easier to get ones music out there now means that, inevitably, there’s more meh stuff around.
But in terms of does one listen allow me to know it’s a great record. Yup!
Ben