La Liberacion's digi-pop breakdowns, reggae-tinged zaps and punky power-pop will please anyone who wrote the band off after 2008's too-glosy Donkey. [Sep 2011, p.112]

Abounds with ADULT.'s trademark terse tension you can dance to--albeit as if in a straitjacket. [Apr 2005, p.128]

Only a few slip-ups occur (“Eyelids” wanders for too many minutes), but all in all, it’s a shiny debut from a band we are excited to watch improve.

More Scared Of You Than You Are Of Me has its foothold in classic punk and Billy Bragg;s fiery, rambling shout, but is presented in an egalitarian way that any modern punk or emo kid can get behind. [May 2017, p.82]

So it's not really that different, but it's still really good. [Mar 2017, p.82]

There are little surprises on Wishful Thinking, but with that comes little letdown.

It doesn't quite have the emotional snap their debut so admirably possessed, but the musicians have an apparent precision of craft. [Jan 2008, p.125]

But while the swanky compositions on Love can fade into the background like velvet-shrouded ambience, this same passion also makes these songs mesmerizing, allowing them to remain in the gently muted spotlight just as easily. [Aug 2001, p.104]

Mirror Traffic will neither win nor lose converts. [Sep 2011, p.112]

This collection is a tad less playful but no less catchy. [Feb 2014, p.91]

While not a major departure, Valtari adds a fresh, ghostly layer to Sigur Rós' slow-motion sprawl.

The technical skill of BFMV has never been in question, even if there's an ultra-safe formula still being adhered to. Venom is no different, offering up more thrash than ever on one of the most solid offerings in the Bullet catalog. [Sep 2015, p.100]

Although it could easily pass as B-sides from 2007's "War Stories," it's actually a sprawling, atmospheric effort with enough interesting tangents to appeal to even jaded "Never, Never Land" fans. [Oct 2008, p.170]

His sharp lyrics take awhile to sink in, But when he throws all standard rules out the window, it sounds like hip-hop from the future. [Jul 2009, p.122]

At best, Dead Media delivers tuneful, hilarious, pathetic tales of lost schoolboy love. [Mar 2002, p.81]

Ultimately, Neighborhoods is a slightly awkward entry in the band's catalog that shows as much potential as it does flaws.

At times monotonous, Heart's strongest tracks are those augmented with vocals by female guitarist Marcie Bolen and basist Carrie Smith. [Apr 2004, p.96]

With more focus on Knopf's reedy voice, acoustic guitar and piano/synth progressions, Intuit sets itself apart from Knopf's day job with aplomb. [Sep 2009, p.108]

Throughout the album, Face To Face continually prove they're the same melodically minded kids they always were, mixing crunchy guitars, gang vocals and catchy guitars leads to build a record that stands proudly alongside the rest of the band's catalog. [Jun 2011, p.110]

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]

If the wordplay occasionally misses the mark, the music (which includes calypso, funk, '40s jazz, and chamber pop) invariably carries the day. [Aug 2001, p.76]

Love & Desperation may not be perfect, but it sure is fun. [Apr 2010, p.130]

The duo's strong suit has always been songwriting, and this still comes through on Heartthrob. [Feb 2013, p.93]

Fly By Wire is more nuanced, mature take on the group's comfort-food keyboard-pop. [Oct 2013, p.92]

Unlike earlier efforts, the Capitol Years steer clear of the lo-fi aesthetic and indulge in some studio time to craft a hushed acoustic affair like "Let Them Drink" or to get the right sound on the slowed-down sludgeworthy riff of "Nothing To Say." [Apr 2005, p.124]

An ambitious effort with story-shape influenced by the band's history while moving forward with increased sophistication and nuance. [Jun 2016, p.102]

There are traces of the Locust, the other band of vocalist Justin Pearson, but these 12 songs are darker and more dangerous. [Jun 2013, p.98]

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]

A refreshing slice of acoustic rock from an indie icon. [Nov 2003, p.114]

Of course, like any soundtrack, there are a number of pieces that end as quickly as they begin (“Fires,” “The Adventures Of Alvin and Lance”), their existence only making sense in the context of the film itself. Overall, however, Prince Avalanche contains songs that make this an album you can spin even if you have no interest in the film itself while illustrating the versatility of both EITS and Wingo.

A solid spin. [Sep 2013, p.84]

Lyrically, Dowdalls covers familiar turf for the genre, mostly using the album's runtime to either lament or skewer past loves. It's perfectly appropriate and expected, but not as impactful as some of the recent works by TTNY's peers.

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

A rare good covers album--creating successful reinterpretations while piquing curiosity for the originals. [Nov 2001, p.74]

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.

Thick and lethal guitar chug and vocals bordering on death-metal bellowing are offset by spidery single-note melodies and catchy sequences. [Sep 2012, p.92]

Too Young To Be In Love captures the primal pulse of vintage late-'50s/early -'60s radio bubblegum with a loving touch. [Apr 2011, p.115]

While not everything is successful on Boxes--for example, the midtempo, electronic-burnished "Lucky One" tries too hard to sound modern--every song has seamless arrangements and a distinctive approach.

A well-crafted ode to cock rock, minus the cliches. [May 2002, p.98]

The band have finally created songs as big as their love-and-death themes. [Nov 2007, p.163]

This 10-song effort will almost surely be a part of the soundtrack powering every block party, barbecue, summer shindig--and certainly toward the dance floor. [May 2015, p.98]

Stickles seems more into channeling his inner Mick Jones, making Local Business sound weirdly like lost sessions from Give 'Em Enough Rope. [Nov 2012, p.94]

The connecting factor between the songs is the laconic, melancholy spirit Margot have perfected. At times the weight can feel too heavy and risk putting the listener into a lull.

What Opeth do best is flat-out shred, and at its finest moments, Watershed howls like the unholy union of Queensryche, Yngwie Malmsteen and Morbid Angel. [Aug 2008, p.166]

[A] successful collection. [Mar 2013, p.91]

There’s a hearty dose of nostalgia here, but in the end, it feels less like a retread and more like a continuation--and a celebration--of the good old days.

As a collective work, Pacific Daydream is ultimately a step below the resurgent greatness of the White Album, but it still soundly ranks in the upper tier of Weezer’s new-millennium output. It’s peppered with some of the band’s best songs in recent memory.

The studio can't really capture their awesomeness, and wile there are some killer songs on Our Own Masters, they might have been better preserved as a live album of all-new material. [Jul 2013, p.106]

A must for electro geeks. [May 2012, p.81]

An impressive, albeit highly schizophrenic, release that takes multiple listens to even begin to comprehend. [June 2003, p.98]

If Enon were magicians, their crowd-gasping finale would be sawing in half the expectations of what a nu-New york band should sound like. [Oct 2003, p.122]

What separates Cut Copy from the retro-electro-pop pack is the mixing prowess of French house maestro Philippe Zdar. [Oct 2004, p.146]

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

Unlike on Say Anything, though, DuPree-Bemis' presence this time around feels less shoehorned in, helping contribute to a loose, lively, fun record.

Features less avant-garde noodling and more straight-up Youth. [Sep 2002, p.96]

The jarring stylistic shifts sometimes make listening to RNR feel more like scanning the radio dial than listening to a CD. [Jan 2004, p.106]

While This Addiction might not be perfect, it's a more than respectable entry into the band's already sizable canon, proving that though they may be in that rarified group of punk-rock lifers, Alkaline Trio aren't done evolving yet. [Mar 2010, p.89]

Grainger's vocals, however, hang a little harsh in the mix without the jagged musical edges around them. Still, the essential energy in his performance powers through the awkward spots, making the disc a welcome payoff to a dance-punk dream destroyed.

Shine is simultaneously gentle and forceful, letting its dusky melodies and subtle surface tension shape its relatively less inventive subject matter. [June 2003, p.104]

Skeletonwitch are in the metalhead-pleasing business, and the classicist genre fusion of Serpents Unleashed more than does the job. [Nov 2013, p.92]

What's great about Strange Weather, Isn't It? is that it offers enough diversity to save you from making you own mastermix. [Sep 2010, p.108]

A diverse collection that often has a life force all its own. [Jun 2007, p.150]

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

Wait Barbarians is not an album for all moods and times of day. But for those calm, reflective moments that tend to arrive as dusk descends, this albums provides the ideal soundtrack. [Jul 2014, p.102]

These are songs worth letting your guard down for. [Aug 2013, p.94]

The music is mostly an interesting hybrid of unlikely elements and naggingly catchy tunes. [Jul 2005, p.186]

Sea Wolf's second effort, now realized by a more traditional band lineup brought together during a few years of touring behind his previous record, extends the reach of Church's pastoral folk sketches.

KMFDM rebound from the lukewarm MDFMK project pulsing and palpitating with a sense of urgency that proves this machine is not obsolete. [May 2002, p.88]

What you hear on Thickfreakness is no less faithful than what old black guys on porches on the Delta have churned out for the last hundred years. [June 2003, p.105]

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

What the Horrors do, they do well. [Jun 2007, p.148]

While Folie A Deux at times feels like the band are showing off the contents of their Rolodex, the album's standouts are so good that they will undoubtedly become standards for the band's live shows for years to come.

The real strength of The Inevitable Past Is The Future Forgotten is the album's inherent variance--and the fact that droning waltzes like "Days Of Wrath" are able to seamlessly co-exist with ambient experiments like "The Threshold" make the album sound like a complete musical statement instead of a genre exercise.

An organic burst of music and melody that is Matranga's best work yet. [Apr 2004, p.84]

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]

John Gourley gives the envelope a token push but lays back a little too much into his comfort zone; the rest of the band abet him with lucid and calm performances. [Aug 2011, p.118]

The Suburbs pulls back much of the meandering songwriting and garbled wall-of-sound production that marred most of Neon Bible; it's not perfect, but its moments of clarity make it worth the trip.

The Bronx III shouldn't be perceived as a misstep, because this band's growing pains have more character than the parade of desperate losers saddled with pay-to-play blues lined up in front of L.A.'s Roxy Theatre. [Dec 2008, p.129]

Some of Bury Me In My Rings lacks gravity, but Sennett finds emotional weight on acoustic "Jailbird" and album standout "Born To Love You." [Jun 2011, p.107]

While the album certainly is a lot of fun, it may turn off fans who have come to expect moody electronica from the Hartnolls. [Oct 2001, p.98]

Shines with a matured level of song composition. [Aug 2006, p.208]

Not only does Fite sing more than speak-rap, he doesn't push oddity so hard. [Apr 2012, p.92]

It's hard to be down on a record that deftly rocks this hard. [May 2012, p.85]

1372 Overton Park is a fresh progression for Lucero that still retains their unpretentious Southern Charm. [Nov 2009, p.110]

The band sounds best when going for the mainstream-pop jugular. [Nov 2011, p.98]

It is perhaps three songs too long, but A Wasteland companion is, nonetheless, a welcome return to form. [May 2012, p.85]

On his third solo album, Crow fully embraces his eclecticism. [Nov 2011, p.92]

Cut Copy may not hit the same cloud-bursting heights as a masterpiece like Primal Scream's Screamadelica did, but their attempt still provides devilish delights. [Dec 2013, p.94]

Golem works best when Wand finds a way to split the difference via proto-prog face peelers like "Cave In" or the Hawkwind-like "Planet Golem" where the sweet and acrid combine to make something particularly intoxicating. [Apr 2015, p.94]

There's no doubt their musical literacy is impressive, but for every cliche it erases, Rings Around The World embraces two more. [May 2002, p.98]

Blood & Lemonade is a good old-fashioned power-pop record bursting with rock-god guitar riffs, stacked harmonies and chugging tempos. [Oct 2014, p.96]

As with prior releaes, Woodruff's lyrics can be hokey, but his Midwestern earnestness makes it easy to let it slide. [Sep 2008, p.158]

The entire album's honeycombed with intriguing tones and gauzy grace, but the songs' elliptical shapes demand patience. The reward comes in installments, but is high yield. [Jul 2013, p.106]

The vocals occasionally become rhythmic and robotic, as if filtered through a demonic Vocoder, but there's no denying this album's rich humanity. [Nov 2008, p.158]

Haters can hurl epithets toward Drew and NSN as much as they want, but the singer's sincerity simply cannot be denied.

Sway is a noticeable sonic upgrade from SSLYBY's previous two albums, which can be somewhat off-putting at first, Still, the progression suits the quartet rather fine. [Sep 2010, p.113]

This album takes time to settle into, but once you are acclimated, it will leave you tingling. [Jan 2015, p.94]

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]