It's not quite the masterpiece 2003's Shivering King And Others was, but it still knocks the piss out of [the Grateful Dead's] American Beauty. [Apr 2005, p.124]

Hot Mess has everything you hate to admit you love about Cobra Starship. [Sep 2009, p.104]

Vanderslice's detached delivery of this riveting material, combined with the somnolent string arrangements, makes Pixel Revolt feel like a chilled-out remix of a book-on-tape recording. [Sep 2005, p.158]

There's an overt embracement of vintage songcraft, and a few tracks would have certainly found welcoming ears in other eras. Be glad they're here now. [Jun 2009, p.102]

The Dropkick Murphys don't fuck with a good thing on The Meanest Of Times. [Oct 2007, p.156]

The instrumentation and arrangements on Strange negotiations bring out the subtleties in Bazan's ever-evolving songwriting style. [Jun 2011, p.106]

Nerve Endings is a fine introduction. [Apr 2015, p.94]

Shimmering guitars haunt tormented tunes, dark gravel growls vie with Thom Yorke-y high notes. Unquestionably, Coldplay could not have existed without an awe-stricken respect for Radiohead's The Bends, but they are also capable of escaping its shadow... [12/2000, p.94]

Hughes and his crew blow through the kind of drums 'n' acoustic booty jams that would make R.L. Burnside do ankle-grabs in his grave. [Jun 2006, p.188]

Whether or not Dr. Dog can duly revered based on their own merits remains to be seen, but in the meantime, they've got a ringer on their hands. [Aug 2008, p.170]

The U.K.'s Lo Fidelity Allstars are having the genre-smashing time of their lives. [Apr 2002, p.78]

The Chems have returned to the early-'90s acid-house exuberance that first inspired them. [Feb 2002, p.67]

12 tracks that are so feeble and lifeless, it's actually painful to put effort into reviewing them. [Jun 2005, p.160]

The highs are higher, the lows are lower and what resonates in the middle is a frontrunner for one of the best summer-transitions-into-fall records that you'll hear in a long, long time. [Nov 2012, p.94]

The Rumble Strips are often seen as Two-Tone ska revivalists when truthfully the sound is more like Wreckless Eric doing Memphis soul with occasional stops in Michigan to raid the vaults at Motown. [Sep 2008, p.159]

Their fifth full-length Showroom Of Compassion shows Cake's key ingredients surviving their 20-year career unscathed. [Feb 2011, p.86]

The Head And The Heart do pretty much everything right on Let's Be Still. [Nov 2013, p.88]

Many songs have a steady drum-machine thump to keep the listener's attention focused, even as the low-key vocals nudge toward narcosis.

A sobering reminder of how frustrating it can be when a talented group become tethered to their established aesthetic. [Feb 2007, p.118]

Back To Land whispers intimately and hauntingly of both paranoia and peace. [Dec 2013, p.102]

During the course of 10 catchy, snappy, lo-fi pop-punk songs, an incredibly personal, heartfelt narrative unfolds, full of ups and downs. [Oct 2010, p.120]

Although the album occasionally slogs through Broder's intentionally weird melodies, it boasts enough oddball genre fusing to keep you engaged. [Oct 2007, p.172]

Falling In Reverse have given fans the rare gift of an artist stepping back to the sound they originally fell in love with. [Apr 2015, p.89]

Their music is just too smart. [June 2003, p.96]

There's nothing bad here, but also nothing new. [June 2003, p.103]

Parts of the result feel overly defensive and overly techno-y, but "Bang! Bang!" will blow your drawers off... [#155, p.85]

His brilliant mash-up of dancehall, techno, booty bass and stomping glam is a guaranteed floor-filler, whether you're laughing or not. [Jun 2003, p.109]

Another strong outing. [Oct 2004, p.148]

Everybody Get Close is a digital-only, stop-gap collection of rare tracks, remixes and outtakes that will sate both the Juan-derful fans, as well as electronic dance music listeners who are too busy looking vacant to create their own playlists.

Particularly great are a few extremely well executed ballads that showcase OWTH's typically gruff sound and Young's typically gravely vocals in new ways. [Apr 2013, p.94]

Manslaughter is a ferocious, heavy record that proves once again that Ice-T and company are undeniable metal contenders, far more than a pop-cultural footnote.

Slaves pull no punches with social and political commentary. But Take Control is also diverse and boasts sly British humor. [Nov 2016, p.90]

What elevates Jim from faux-soul Jamiroquai ghetto is the effortless exuberance and keen reverence that Lidell brings to the vocals and arrangements, hand-crafting dusty grooves as fresh as the first drop of the needle. [July 2008, p.162]

I'm Having Fun Now is a good time for your ears, and hopefully the start of more collaborations between the two lovebirds.

The need for The Need is debatable, but it's a nice addition to Anticon's growing catalog of successful experiments. [Mar 2007, p.144]

Even when he's sticking closest to the sound that made him famous, it's a kinder, gentler variation. [May 2007, p.150]

Through it all, Massive Attack are more menacing than midnight in the darklands. Welcome back--you've been missed terribly. [Mar 2010, p.96]

Good storytelling, the brothers' distinctive vocal lobs and a pleasant combo of banjo, bass, strings and both acoustic and electric guitar [are still present]. But with so many of the rough edges buffed away, there aren't as many nooks and crannies in which listeners can embed themselves, making it more difficult to become emotionally attached to The Carpenter.

The group take a far lighter approach with the haunting “Madrid,” the airy, guitar-free “MSK” and sparkling closer “California,” a piano ballad straight from the Jason Lancaster playbook. It’s a risk, and it doesn’t always work, but you end up glad Yellowcard found the courage to hoist their sails at all this year and still plot a course, as uncharted as it may be.

You could feel the Kicks reaching for this sort of grandeur in the more inspired moments of 2006's "Two thousands, " this time, they're bathing in it. [July 2008, p.158]

Burn The Maps' muted vibe demands that you turn down the lights, fire up the candles and listen hard. [Mar 2005, p.132]

This fifth full-length has everything fans expect from an Eisley record. [Mar 2017, p.82]

Much of Normal Happiness combines the effortless charm of classic power-pop with elements of prog as put through the filter of early Genesis or Ween; kind of like that last New Pornographers disc, but better. [Nov 2006, p.188]

Frustratingly, Jukebox takes a more soft-focus tack. [Feb 2008, p.114]

There's a defiance to BRMC's carefully crafted mix of brooding vocals and blurred melody that unites disparate musical elements into blasts of noisy cohesion and howling passion. [#155, p.72]

Why does Warp Riders feel so lacking? The root cause could be that the songs on this album are stripped of the sexy strut that marked the Sword's earlier efforts. [Sep 2010, p.113]

Loaded with lilting melodies, powerfully introspective lyrics, swelling harmonies and an orchestral quality whose timelessness transcends trends. [Jul 2003, p.121]

A gimmick-free indie-rock record that's both instantly gratifying and that seems destined to join the timeless-pop pantheon. [Dec 2005, p.202]

Ebullient songs like "Dream About The Future" and "Told You Once" have the choruses to give ELO fans "Back to the Future" chills, but they should also make any pop lover an instant Apples adherent, too. [May 2010, p.102]

Though fans may expect these collaborations to be less structured than a MURS solo record, there's a few songs that just leave you feeling unsatisfied. That being said, Fornever is still a solid disc, and will please the average indie-rap fan.

While several songs do need an editor--"Dressed In Dreams" in particular drags quite a bit--the record's honesty and vulnerability are inspiring.

If it’s a retread you want, American Beauty/American Psycho isn’t for you. Because it’s the sound of a band boldly challenging themselves and their fans to let the past be just that, while embracing the weirdness and uncertainty of the new and the next.

It's not a "clever" record in any sense, but who needs to think when the music is this much raucous fun? [Sep 2015, p.98]

Hill's first solo outing is a 450 bpm bonanza with 13 tracks of slasher-jazz that are surprisingly catchy and cohesive. [Sep 2008, p.162]

Easily one of the best debuts of 2012-or 2022, for that matter.

The contemporary-grunge and vintage New York-punk nods packaged here are unthreatening; singer Lillian Berlin's vocals are forgettable; and his lyrics remain more stupid than socially aware. [Dec 2005, p.214]

One of the most honest albums we've heard in quite some time.

The overall effect is of a 21-century Mighty Lemon Drops, but there's certainly something to be said for a Heaven comprised of such modest glories. [Jul 2012, p.100]

Panic! At The Disco have completely hung up their steampunk wardrobes to deliver one of the year’s finest modern-pop works.

Power and passion haven't sounded this vibrant in a while.

On Small Craft, the 62-year-old Eno has provided both sonic career overview, as well as an engaging experience for listeners wanting something both familiar and new. [Dec 2010, p.111]

Born Under Saturn is an album of ambition, and while the gaffes certainly hold it back, there are enough good ideas crammed in throughout, making the album a worthy trip to a spacey dancehall.

A menacingly sweet and sweetly menacing set of electro pop. [June 2003, p.109]

Walls tends to fade into the background during its instrumental moments, dulled by textures and emotional ebbs that aren't very distinctive. Better are sharper rock songs. [Aug 2009, p.115]

The album runs out of steam toward the end, but the first few tracks are gold. [Nov 2009, p.109]

Narcotic, hypnotic and quietly cerebral, it's more satisfying and less elusive. [Jul 2003, p.112]

Their best album to date. [Apr 2002, p.70]

Absolution's chaotic choruses feel like the triumphant culmination of some earth-shattering undertaking. [Jul 2004, p.146]

Includes everything from Brighten The Corners-sounding pop blasts to comforting acoustic gems to dark rockers. [Nov 2001, p.91]

Excellent. [Jun 2004, p.111]

She succeeds by involving lots of traditional instrumentation from various regions of the continent, and allowing for a variety of vocalists to join her throughout. [Oct 2014, p.100]

Too True preserves what makes Dum Dum Girls great, while pushing the band to brilliant new heights.

The Raveonettes are suddenly noisier than old-school Sonic Youth and every bit as menacing as the Velevt Underground circa '68. [Mar 2008, p.145]

The bulk of the album's 14 tracks find her playing it safe with a helium-voiced squeak reminiscent of (take your pick) Gwen Stefani, Santigold, Kate Bush or Cyndi Lauper. [Nov 2011, p.97]

Saturday Night Wrist proves yet again that Deftones have a corner on the transcendental-metal market. [Dec 2006, p.192]

But is it emo-synth brilliance or just MOR cheese? That’s the question you may still be asking when you’ve surfaced from beneath these Waves.

The shimmering showcase for singer/songwriter Shara Worden--frustrates somewhat, retreating from the rocking thrust of her debut. August 2008, p.162]

This revisitation of the band's canon burns brighter than a thousand nuclear-rector accidents. [Nov 2005, p.218]

This is a chilly, alienated album that sounds like it was recorded in a walk-in freezer. But a bleak, thousand-yard stare cool beats showy emotion every time, and Clinic knows it. [Dec 2012, p.88]

Common Existence cements Thursday as not only the forefathers of the scene, but also the reigning kings. [Mar 2009, p.102]

The album is a devilishly fun listen when he's behaving liked a genius on the attack [Sep 2010, p.116]

"Waves" may boast a certain post-punk urgency, but Dulli's on to something more seductive here. [Mar 2011, p.99]

Even without a high-profile knob-twiddler [Walla] this would have sounded like their version of Husker Du's Metal Circus--a document of grace on the way to greatness. [Jul 2004, p.138]

Policy feels a bit too plotted, too controlled. The best moments come when Butler loosens his grip a bit. [Apr 2015, p.92]

Is The Is Are nails all of nostalgia's sonic signifiers, without any of the retrograde guilt. [Mar 2016, p.100]

Stuffed from nose to toes with nine noise-rock delights. [Oct 2007, p.168]

They've given their songs a spine. Stark and deliberate, menageries of vocals ricochet irresistibly between reverb, piano and floor toms and stripped-down Americana. [Apr 2009, p.135]

It seems like Hinson puts far more energy into conveying some sense of backwoods authenticity than writing songs that inspire any type of real emotion. [Oct 2006, p.200]

This quartet's latest work still bellows in and out with the urgency of a boxer's lungs, and new singer Arnold de Boer maintains a strident edge while adding a barely perceptible undercurrent of lightness. Missing is the low end. [Feb 2011, p.87]

Radio also is the most intensely personal Green Day album in years; as much a celebration of life on the upside of 40 as it is a reminder of the choices, conflicts and contradictions that mark a life well-lived.

The band of brothers and sisters (plus one cousin) have made the gauzy shooegazing of 2005's "Room Noises" a lot noisier.... What hasn't changed, wisely, are the soaring sibling harmonies and sense of wonder, which are still best heard in delicate moments. [Oct 2007, p.168]

With its background ripped straight from ’80s video games and its foreground featuring rip-roaring guitar, Science And Magic bridges a gap between goofy nostalgia and a welcome adventure. [Jan 2016, p.95]

Challenging it's not, but its low-key loveliness makes it great for dinner parties where the company is almost as cool as Mercer's pre-Port track record. [Apr 2012, p.98]

While earlier efforts verged on immateriality, Set Free memorably mixes acoustic strums, brushed drums and Andrew Kenny's wistful vocals. [Nov 2005, p.208]

A strong new contender in the side project derby. [Jul 2007, p.168]

It's not for a lack of experimentation on Collet's part that Rat foregoes any sort of bar raing. It's still a solid forging of '70s-rock gruff. [Apr 2010, p.122]

Lightspeed Champion somehow fail to generate the true emotional sentiment that was the crux of the artists he's drawing from...Hynes has matured, though. [Mar 2010, p.94]

A solid album, but a must-have only for Tweedy completists. [Apr 2003, p.82]