Much of We Were Dead feels like a culmination of the sound that Modest Mouse have spent the last decade or so honing. [May 2007, p.145]

One of the better nuanced and layered compositions we're likely to see before 2007 ends. [May 2007, p.152]

Living With The Living takes steps back to New Jersey, with the sort of big rock 'n' roll, free of subcultural claim, that'd make the Boss proud. [Apr 2007, p.176]

His best release ever. [Apr 2007, p.190]

Mediocre. [May 2007, p.162]

It's full of the old-fashioned care and craft hip-hop has largely forgotten. [May 2007, p.160]

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

It's the glorious melodies and cavernous, quasi-dub-like production that conspire to make Person Pitch one of the most beguiling, intoxicating releases of 2007 thus far. [May 2007, p.161]

Teenager music for people who were teenagers in the '70s. [Apr 2007, p.190]

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

Their most accessible and uncompromising album.... !!! deftly balance adventurousness with fun--a potent combo that too few bands achieve. [Apr 2007, p.192]

The baby-making music never reaches above its already-set guidelines to become something truly special, preferring to explore already charted (and re-charted) territory. [Apr 2007, p.180]

While devotees of Funeral... will surely enjoy Neon Bible, the album does have a decidedly different feel than its predecessor--mainly, there seems to be less of an emphasis on choruses. [Apr 2007, p.182]

It lacks the spark of the band's classic catalog material. [Apr 2007, p.191]

I'm listening to "Free And Freaky"--the third track on this new, horrible Stooges album and possibly the worst song ever written by anyone anywhere--and I can't believe you actually just rhymed "Obama" with "Dalai Lama" and "baby's mama." [Apr 2007, p.191]

That's why artists like RJD2 are important: They're brave, they're risk takers, and modern music needs more of them. [Apr 2007, p.192]

Lynn Teeter Flower finds Taylor shaving away some of the layers from her solo debut 11:11 for more subtle ornamentation and experimentation. [Apr 2007, p.182]

[Dalek] have harnessed their noise fetish into a sound that's more sedate, but just as unnerving. [Apr 2007, p.194]

A collection of crisp, melodic pop tunes that showcase not only his musical abilities, but his vocal skills as well. [Mar 2007, p.145]

We All Belong is phenomenally consistent.

More cohesive and less frantic. [Apr 2007, p.180]

K-os occasionally veers into icky soft-pop territory on Atlantis, but give him props for mostly imagining where hip-hop might go in the future rather than recycling its past. [Mar 2007, p.144]

It's a bit unfortunate that the Irishmen decided to keep their songwriting and musical prowess stagnant. [Mar 2007, p.143]

[They] still fuse rock with techno with more nonchalant poise than nearly anybody else, but they've also crafted some of their most gorgeous tunes here. [Mar 2007, p.137]

Too many songs rely on sappy love-song cliches, bland arrangements or saccharine lyrics. [Mar 2007, p.135]

Being bent out of shape never sounded so good. [Mar 2007, p.142]

Even in its darkest moments... [This Too] remains grounded in a beautiful humanity. [Mar 2007, p.136]

They play things way too safe... which makes for a rather boring listening experience. [Mar 2007, p.142]

The most sophistcated punk-pop you'll ever hear. [Mar 2007, p.136]

Some of the band's most gut-wrenching and powerful melodies to date. [Mar 2007, p.133]

There are no walls of distortion or crunching riffs; this time, they've traded all that for the beauty of Craig B.'s vocals and understated ambience. [Apr 2007, p.180]

Some Loud Thunder isn't without its successes--but it is defined by its failures. [Feb 2007, p.114]

Despite plenty of subtle charm and wistfulness, the band's implicit pursuit of warmth occasionally veers off course to flirt with surprising sterility. [Feb 2007, p.115]

Undoubtedly his catchiest record so far. [Feb 2007, p.122]

[It] has a charm that transcends your typical noise-splunk band. [Mar 2007, p.145]

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]

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

Deerhoof's 13 years of experience have honed their sound to near perfection and is pleasing even to the most critical of ears. [Mar 2007, p.136]

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

[It] feels more put-on than intimate, more tried than true. [Feb 2007, p.109]

With this completely progressive and mature effort, it's clear that Barnes is one of indie rock's most gifted songwriters. [Feb 2007, p.115]

The combination of thundering drums with whimsical vocals and melodies can be charming, insanely catchy and headache-inducing, sometimes all at once. [Feb 2007, p.114]

Saturated with stark realism, her confessionals and fictions mark the grueling aftermath of pop's lovey-dovey daydreams. [Mar 2007, p.136]

Whether you're a fan of Pinback or Goblin Cock, you can probably find something worth listening to on Living Well. [Mar 2007, p.135]

Overall, it's what you'd expect from Incubus--and that isn't a bad thing. [Jan 2007, p.138]

It seems that when you mix superstar indie-ites, everything is increased exponentially. [Dec 2006, p.190]

A quantum leap above not only Brand New's prior work... but beyond anything that any band in this scene are currently creating. [Jan 2007, p.129]

The beating heart of Newsom's tales, at turns whimsical and melancholic, enchant with a simple calculus: A woman, a harp and a story to tell. [Dec 2006, p.190]

It's clear that the Trail Of Dead we once knew no longer exists. [Jan 2007, p.139]

A bit flat. [Jan 2007, p.131]

Warm acoustic guitars and spookily ethereal vocals add up to understated soundtrack music for a road trip through the Scottish countryside. [Jan 2007, p.134]

The gently frenetic interplay between instruments works in the opener "Cut From The Cloth," but tires after nine carbon copies. [Jan 2007, p.134]

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

What... is immediately evident is the extent to which McKay has grown as a musician. [Feb 2006, p.130]

It's certainly a leap further into the ethereal weirdness that defined 2004's shoegaze- and electronics-inspired Panopticon. [Nov 2006, p.192]

The Black Parade is MCR's whole raison d'etre rolled up into one mega-decibel calling card. [Nov 2006, p.179]

Their most accomplished and least anxious record yet. [Nov 2006, p.182]

Pussy Cats reveals facets of the Walkmen's personality that their originals haven't explored. [Dec 2006, p.189]

The songs tend to meander along without a sense of overall purpose. [Dec 2006, p.188]

For the most part, the album eschews the elaborate orchestration that defined his solo debut in lieu of atmospheric--and expansive--rock songs. [Nov 2006, p.186]

The songs sound more like a collection of B-sides than a new album. [Dec 2006, p.206]

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]

There's not a single song that's captivating enough to hold our attention. [Dec 2006, p.188]

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]

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]

One of the brightest and catchy offerings for Sub Pop all year. [Nov 2006, p.188]

It's nothing short of their highest point to date. [Nov 2006, p.188]

Overall, this collision of dirty loops and polished pop is Information you need. [Dec 2006, p.198]

A cluttered, derivative mess. [Dec 2006, p.200]

These guys sound like they don't even understand why punks and classic rockers drink at separate bars. [Nov 2006, p.198]

Chapter Two boasts more dance-music artists than the first volume did, which allows greater leeway for the DFA to build glitteringly gritty club epics that don't stop till you get enough. [Nov 2006, p.206]

Here's the thing about originality... You don't really need it when you play this proficiently. [Dec 2006, p.188]

The Crane Wife isn't automatic for the people yet, but it's far from green. [Nov 2006, p.188]

The sextet take glitchy electronics, nerdy psychedelic rock and various forms of hip-hop to create a completely over-the-top concept album--and it works perfectly. [Dec 2006, p.208]

The Lemonheads is the album Dando should have made 10 years ago, and poppy punk ain't what it used to be. [Nov 2006, p.200]

Knives Don't Have Your Back is like the soundtrack to an excellent Alfred Hitchcock film. [Oct 2006, p.200]

Shows signs of nuance and restraint--relatively speaking. [Oct 2006, p.214]

More proof that sophomore efforts don't have to be sleepy. [Oct 2006, p.212]

Like a primer in recent rock history. [Dec 2006, p.200]

This is the 25-year-old singer-songwriter at his most personal. [Oct 2006, p.208]

It's the little touches that make Daydream so appealing. [Nov 2006, p.190]

Yes, the journey is often challenging, but that's what makes it unforgettable. [Dec 2006, p.190]

All Amputechture does is test patience. [Oct 2006, p.200]

This disc is actually a better recap of the Yo team's past than last year's triple-disc best-of collection. [Nov 2006, p.190]

Shows LaValle exploring new and exciting sonic territory with mostly positive results. [Oct 2006, p.200]

Though lifeless songs such as "Estranged" still remind you of LeMaster's yawn-inducing past, the rest of Dark Light Daybreak suggests he should've stretched out like this a long time ago. [Nov 2006, p.200]

Hearing Blood Mountain in its entirety is like awaking from a coma to discover you have working ears. [Oct 2006, p.206]

For a bunch of comedians, the Electric Six sure are talented musicians. [Dec 2006, p.189]

Even if you can't fully grasp the disc's existential subject matter, Happy Hollow is still a pleasure on the ears. [Sep 2006, p.207]

The sound is closer to the Boss' Nebraska--as Will Oldham would have done it--haunting, reflective and drowning in sorrow. [Oct 2006, p.200]

The result: a CD without hooks, impressive guitar pyrotechnics, or anything else, really. [Sep 2006, p.226]

Avatar is further proof that Comets On Fire are one of the most relevant bands of this decade. [Sep 2006, p.214]

It's a summertime record guaranteed to freak out half the "Surfing USA" fans in the world. [Oct 2006, p.202]

Remember's strength is in its time-warp atmosphere. [Sep 2006, p.228]

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

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

While Personality is all masterful and ambitious, nothing really sticks in the end. [Sep 2006, p.232]

Too big for the shallows, White Whale are at their best when pushing out into the depths of dense melodies and sea-breezy lyrics. [Sep 2006, p.216]