The rich--and sometimes gorgeous--glitch-folk of Elephant Eyelash certainly does the trick. [Nov 2005, p.226]

Less production allows the songs to breathe, but while the arrangements are often clever, the melodies aren't all that sticky. [Mar 2014, p.93]

Tunnel Blanket serves as a perfect soundtrack to both the world's turmoil and its imminent collapse. [Jun 2011, p.109]

The saccharine harmonies are still present on the title track; they're just augmented with more expansive arrangements that bring out a welcome new dimension to the band's sound. [Apr 2011, p.114]

The high points find the Men melding their overmodulated past with their new melodic obsessions. The low points render the band mere pretenders to outfits like Guided By Voices and Spoon. [Apr 2013, p.90]

What ultimately makes Similes so wonderful is that with every listen it seems to peel away the world around you, immersing you in its warmth, and for 43 minutes, it makes it so hard to believe that everything that might be wrong in your life actually matters at all.

[It] comes off as another Albarn project that's neither amazing or anathema. [Feb 2007, p.122]

Ageless and deeply affecting. [Jul 2006, p.210]

Scottish popsters Belle & Sebastian neatly embrace and critique the politics of dancing on their ninth studio album. [Feb 2015, p.90]

Overall, Plowing is an artistic, unique and rather enjoyable step few probably expected Iceage to make, and quite easily the band's best album yet.

As a whole, they don't quite match the melancholy majesty of his debut O, but moments do rival his best work. [Dec 2014, p.108]

Polished studio effects notwithstanding, Belong's truest charms remain the songs themselves. [Apr 2011, p.115]

These songs have enough lyrical detail to project some moving pictures onto you mind's eye. [Mar 2015, p.94]

Score yet another triumph for a man whose legend continues to grow. [Jul 2014, p.98]

Another solid reunion... [Oct 2001, p.80]

Loud Like Nature contains all the traits that make Add N To (X) so captivating: blood, brains and lots of loin friction. [Dec 2002, p.77]

Atlas may lack the overall inventiveness of Kinky's self-titled debut, but the album still finds the Mexican electro-funk rockers in fine form. [Feb 2004, p.88]

White it's Oye's endearing melancholy that holds Unrest together, the Human League synth sounds are what give the disc its quietly indulgent charm. [Feb 2003, p.72]

Exuberant and energetic.

Wilco continues to reign in their experiemntal fuzz, focusing more on pretty melodies, upbeat toe-tappers and sweet acoustic numbers for their seventh full-length. [Aug 2009, p.115]

As much fun as a desperado can have without going on a tri-state crime spree. [Oct 2006, p.214]

Sounds anemic. [May 2005, p.138]

While most of the songs boast their own distinct personalities, the whole record feels touched by a melancholy tone that recalls the end of summers past.

My Morning Jacket no longer sound like a band of curious adventurers perpetually at odds with their former selves, and consequently deliver an album that plays like a sort of kid-in-a-candy-shop, take-a-little-of-everything thrill ride. Predictably, results vary.

At its core, Tape Deck Heart is the kind of record we've all always wanted Frank Turner to make. [May 2013, p.83]

They might be moonlighting, but they've officially stepped out of Black Mountain's shadow. [Sep 2009, p.105]

It's a solid album in an impressive and varied discography. [May 2013, p.90]

While modern metalcore acts are a dime a dozen now, the fourth full-length from the Devil Wears Prada should lay waste to any usurpers attempting to seize their rightful crown. [Oct 2011, p.107]

His band match his pain note-for-note for a brutal but rewarding listen. [Dec 2011, p.119]

That's how much of of this album feels--confusing....Our advice? Stick to the disc's first half; it's where you'll find the best songs. [Nov 2009, p.114]

Sprout is doing a fine job of keeping his legacy untarnished. [Apr 2003, p.73]

The subtle electronic touches give Mogwai's production a suitably enigmatic dimension. [#155, p.78]

Another genre-bending album full of scavenged sounds. [July 2003, p.113]

Only the album-ending title track tones down the noise, and even then, it's about as restrained as early Husker Du. [May 2005, p.132]

Everything is organic, unforced and so subtly constructed that much of the time you don't so much hear the songs as feel them. Beautiful. [Feb 2014, p.91]

If one can digest [Thompson's singing], though, Hairball makes for a pretty fun listen. [May 2015, p.100]

Farm isn't the kind of Dino record that has a keeper single like 'Start Choppin'' or 'Feel The Pain.' Instead, it boasts some of Mascis' biggest departures under the Dino name. [Aug 2009, p.110]

The duo of Mc Eyedea And DJ Abilities have always possessed more potential than they've realized and By The Throat doesn't change that balance. [Aug 2009, p.110]

It's not as groundbreaking as "Eyelash," but it's another small step in the group's constant evolution. [Apr 2008, p.163]

Gossamer is still full of incredibly catchy choruses, dozens of layers of funky instrumental tracks, spazzy electronic flourishes and of course Michael Angelakos' sky-scraping falsetto. [Aug 2012, p.88]

Emptiness has rarely sounded so fulfilling. [Sep 2014, p.108]

Interlude continues where 'Water' left off, exuding a pall of melancholy that translates into heartbreaking beauty. [#153, p.85]

Much like the bubbly permutations of recent Mouse on Mars discs, the four pieces on Sign feature over an hour's worth of rapturous electronic textures. [Mar 2002, p.90]

He's created a bona-fide pop album--smokingly soulful, sure, but armed to the teeth with hooks and refrains, radio-ready and simultaneously transcendent. [#147, p.84]

A disheveled collection.... Westerberg's muse seems to switch on and off, from inspired to bored. [Jun 2002, p.90]

Girls Against Boys are still together making pwerful music that detonates the soundtracks of the new subcultures and corporate marketing campaigns. [Jun 2002, p.75]

Mount Eerie would be a gorgeous record even if the vision behind it didn't fall somewhere between Biblical allegory and Greek myth, but the drama makes it all the more stunning. [Feb 2003, p.70]

A delightful listen. [Oct 2002, p.79]

MC Rut are riveting, the rawness and intensity of their performance drenched in the pints of sweat they undoubtedly shed at every show.[Nov 2010, p.116]

Madina Lake's return to the scene is reason enough to celebrate, it's just icing on the cake they've delivered their strongest album to date. [Sep 2011, p.107]

Polymers Are Forever makes the noblest of gestures-confusing the hell out of people who love their culture served to them on a stick while getting their fans psyched for a proper full-length early next year.

They’re obviously still working out the kinks that come with stepping out of one’s comfort zone, but all in all Let The Ocean Take Me is an encouraging signpost that sees the Amity Affliction slowly tearing up the blueprint that drove their early works.

No surprises really to be found here, but that's not what you're here for: You stick with the band for their assured songwriting and richly rendered freakouts. [May 2015, p.96]

The quartet have delivered some of the most raw and willfully demented rock music to be vomited up in 2017, and Patton's inimitable contributions ensure that the crazy meter remains permanently in the red. [Aug 2017, p.82]

Woods is the best record EBTG never made, a new peak for Thorn in a career full of heights. [May 2007, p.162]

The pristine third album from UK rhythm junkies Foals is a study in contrasts. [Mar 2013, p.8]

Fantastic. Yesterday is a breath of fresh air for hip hop. [Feb 2009, p.107]

Open Season takes debonair glam flourishes--screaming strings, slow-building lounge-act dramatics--and contrasts them with edgy riffs and subtle hooks. [May 2005, p.172]

Farrar backs up his good intentions with an album's worth of strong material. [Apr 2013, p.90]

The arrangements are busier, but Morgan's the key to holding it together. [Aug 2012, p.90]

Adams often finds himself revisiting his past glories on Easy Tiger. [Jul 2007, p.178]

Intensely bizarre cartoon music. [May 2005, p.178]

Occasionally, Roderick gets in the way of himself and makes the proceedings more difficult than they should be. [Sep 2006, p.214]

It's ultimately Costa's expressive, bluesy vocals that set her apart from other singers and make Something such a promising debut. [Jul 2001, p.63]

The band have gelled into Pollard's best yet, and it's their brief forays into prog-rock complexity that make the record stand out within the GBV catalog. [Jul 2002, p.82]

The music on Selmasongs brings Bjork's penchant for haunting melodies, cinematic imagery and ambient percussion fully to bear.... Though composed for a film, the music is 100-percent Bjork and may well be her best work yet. [12/2000, p.91]

Costello clutters many fine compositions with kitchen-sink arrangements and cacophonous production that bring into focus how sorely missed estranged Attractions bassist Bruce Thomas is throughout. [Jun 2002, p.75]

Ever wonder what an all-star band featuring Burt Bacharach, Jethro Tull, Black Sabbath and Pink Floyd would sound like stoned on the final reel of 2001: A Space Odyssey? [May 2006, p.172]

Gosling and Shields play all the instruments on the disc and sing along with the kids choir--which sounds like a recipe for disaster but in actuality it's both compelling and surprising well-rendered.

Home Of The Strange adds back their debut’s indie charm, then catapults Sameer Gadhia’s sensational vocals to the front. Keeping those levels in check allows the band to effortlessly explore ambient electronics (“Amerika”), dance numbers (“Silvertongue”) and every other curiosity along the way.

Fans both old and new can crank this record 'til their ears bleed as Sepultura take a victory lap around the temple of the metal gods. [Feb 2017, p.82]

Oracular may be a complex effort, but the verdict is simple--it's brilliant. [Feb 2008, p.115]

It'll take a while to sink its clawed into you, but once it does, it won't let go. [Mar 2013, p.88]

The more monotonous parts of the album fade into the background--but their use of dynamics and technical prowess makes Natural Experiments a success. [Feb 2012, p.80]

Only time will accord the Bloods with the same kind of reverence given to such old-school avatars as Gang Of Four, Wire and Public Image Ltd. Wait and see. [Nov 2006, p.194]

The sound of an artist refreshed and renewed. [May 2007, p.150]

A highly charged and welcome return. [May 2011, p.93]

[Andrew Kenny] The Austin native has never sounded so loose and assured as he does on Matchsticks. [Jul 2011, p.112]

Reunion Tour further cements the Weakerthans' status as legitmate rock 'n' roll tastemakers. [Nov 2007, p.172]

Slime gives good reason to say Roots is winning. [Dec 2008, p.152]

Perfect for night drives on long, winding roads. [Oct 2011, p.107]

Although former member Franz Nicolay's piano parts are missed, the Hold Steady have still managed to craft a great record for a barbecue on a hot summer day--and for the hangover the next morning. [Jun 2010, p.105]

Transit Transit, the follow-up to 2004's similarly majestic Future Perfect, doesn't stray from the intended path, offering sonic action painting, narcotic dreamscapes and other manifestations of sonic bliss that you simply cannot divine from any band currently operating.

The heartfelt, piano-based "Do The Trick" is among guitarist/vocalist Scott McMicken's most accomplished songs--which can be said for nearly every boot-stomping moment here. [Mar 2012, p.97]

Air's most song-oriented effort yet. [Feb 2004, p.92]

El Bronx simply didn't go far enough, as only a handful of the album's 10 tracks mesh that inspired modernism with the traditional Mexican soulfulness they obviously hold dear. [Dec 2014, p.107]

Sonically spacious and spontaneous, Rose City is an endlessly tuneful bouquet of beaty. [Jun 2009, p.102]

They've made a graceful exit here. [Oct 2016, p.86]

It's hard for many Brand New superfans to admit, but it's entirely possible that the band simply wrote a good album this time around, not a great one.

Another World is only for the devoted. [Jan 2008, p.124]

At times some reining in might have been desirable, but 11 albums in, it’s hard to argue Opeth have earned the right to do whatever the hell they want.

Blistering brittle and beautiful, this is a cold, winter wind of a record, perfect for shutting yourself away from the outside world as you mourn the passing of friends, loved ones and better days. [Apr 2011, p.118]

Real Hair continues down the path set by their first two records and that’s a good thing.

Drug Church will likely be off-putting for some with weaker aural constitutions, but if you can get over the fact that a skinny, weird-looking guy is yelling at you about nothing in particular, you’re gonna love this.

No matter what the style or genre of the music, it’s passion that drives its power, and War Psalms is brimming with it.

There aren't many stronger Americans albums than Till Midnight. [Apr 2014, p.93]

To call this "sunstroked desert hallucination mood music" sells it short. It actually transforms the atmosphere of the space in which it's played. [June 2008, p.132]

Centipede Hz stretches them out of their traditional organic structures and into a slightly unknown world.