What emerges here isn't the new techno folk or even world music for the e-universe, but a rare portrait of technology with a human face. [Mar 2002, p.78]

Admittedly, Emblems begins to drag towards the end, but the album succeeds on a visceral level. [Jul 2004, p.136]

Finds the outfit in fine form, but it seems unlikely that the casual fan will fully appreciate what Everett has done with his songs here. [Apr 2006, p.214]

On their 13th studio effort, the Skull Defekts have evolved into an actual rock band. [May 2014, p.94]

There's something for everyone on Photographing Snowflakes, and Gough's on the right path for a terrific trilogy. [Nov 2010, p.109]

Perfect major-label American alt-rock--slick, smart and serious enough without being somber to reach out to even the least emotionally confused people without scaring off the moody ones. [May 2002, p.94]

It sounds like all those summers hanging at the cottage with Lemmy Kilmister and Lars Frederiksen finally made him realize there's more than one way to blow out your vocal cords. That makes Old Crows/Young Cardinals a welcome reinvention. [Aug 2009, p.106]

Carter and Ansell aren't reinventing the wheel, but they've got a way nicer ride than most of the pretenders currently being exalted by friendless bloggers. [Aug 2012, p.84]

Mercer manages to sing behind the beat, beside it, in front of it, all while tossing out upper-division stanzas that are mostly cryptic, sometimes creepy, and occasionally sublime. [Apr 2009, p.134]

Might as well slot this Portland, Oregon, Sextet on Bonnarooo's schedule for the next decade. [Jul 1010, p.122]

The A-side sports some significant drive and heft. [Jul 2003, p.122]

Exiting Arm is another step forward in the brillant career of a group unafraid to switch it up. [June 2008, p.137]

The Singles is over too quickly. [Nov 2008, p.164]

If the vocals on Electric Sweat were produced as flawlessly as the guitars, and perhaps a different song order were arranged for a better flow, this album could be a retro-rock classic alongside other "hindsight visionaries" like the Vue or the Strokes. [May 2002, p.94]

Things reach such a fever pitch on this album that you can't help but laugh at times. [Sep 2001, p.75]

There are gems and duds, but overall this is a fine and successful experiment that'll kick-start any social gathering. [Oct 2007, p.172]

This group's self-titled album creates a warm and fuzzy slow burn akin to the glory days of weird post-rock bands like Karate, Lungfish, and Regulator Watts. [Apr 2013, p.88]

The net result sounds like a band trying--and mostly succeeding--to merge their youthful past and mature present. [Feb 2011, p.87]

It's surprisingly decent. [Jul 2007, p.174]

Full of beautifully manicured pop that's often atmospheric and always dramatic, though it certainly wouldn't have hurt to toss in a few truly memorable choruses. [Jun 2005, p.164]

It falls just a smidge short of the amazingly high bar set by their peers. [Oct 2011, p.107]

Much of Sisterworld has a decidedly seasick feel punctuated only occasionally by angular blasts of carnival-esque speed. All told, it's more than enough to satisfy and just enough to keep you guessing. [Apr 2010, p.126]

Low Teens perfectly captures the history of the band into one solid release. If you’re looking for something new or completely groundbreaking, you won’t find it here. You will find an incredible album that grows with every listen.

Its pattering Jamaican rhythms and Indian drones well matched to lyrics that ruminate on revolutions both political and personal. [Jun 2012, p.84]

Chalk a point in the "win" column for the old school. [Dec 2010, p.116]

In the case of the Used's fifth proper LP, the exact opposite could be said--we hear too many singles. Or would-be singles, that is. [Apr 2012, p.89]

A little too close to the mainstream for comfort. [Jan 2003, p.91]

The songs on The King Is Dead don't collapse under the weight of their lite-FM armor; conversely, they endure in spite of it. One way or another, the Decemberists write good songs, regardless of how they're gift-wrapped.

All Night Radio broadcast more personality than [Beachwood Sparks]--and frame it with a maniacal smile. [Apr 2004, p.88]

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]

Fila's prowess on bass and guitar keeps the music feeling more composerly than other, more sample-heavy excursions. [Apr 2002, p.74]

It's clear that Paws can have fun while stopping short of their exterior goofiness. [Nov 2012, p.92]

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

Beyond the necessity, Birdie is a record that teeters an indie/emo line with ease and a sense of hybridity. Press “play” for a sense of melancholic calm.

Man Man are still digging around in a diverse bag of influences. Fortunately, they keep pulling out winners. [Sep 2013, p.90]

Lateralus could have been released four years ago, for all the sonic progression that's contained (or not contained) within its 79 minutes. [Jul 2001, p.57]

What Challengers lack in immediacy, it makes up for brain-teasing melodies and majestic orchestrations. [Oct 2007, p.162]

Another solid addition to a nearly peerless discography. [May 2017, p.82]

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]

Mostly, Hug Of Thunder feels like a sign of maturity to complement a more weathered and warm approach to songwriting that includes a lot of electronic pulses and skybound singalongs.

It's as dreamy as Mercury Rev have ever sounded. [Oct 2008, p.161]

It's a solid first salvo from a band who clearly have the chops to make a serious stir. [Sep 2014, p.105]

Almost half of the album is bolstered by huge beats and pulsating bass. Even so, the disc's bet tracks are the ones that don't employ this formula. [Sep 2012, p.92]

Arguably his most solid collection of folk-based tunes. [Apr 2005, p.116]

Portamento is a dramatic, bitchy and playful collection that can channel the aforementioned grief through the Drums' lively fingers, and come out effervescent on the other side.

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

A slick, synthed-up, unabashed party. [May 2014, p.92]

With a renewed, stripped-down focus, Fortune is some of their best stuff yet. [May 2014, p.88]

The Green Album is a sweet and largely sincere recasting of songs from The Muppet Show and several of its cinematic spinoffs.

A document of one amazing night of music. [Mar 2005, p.124]

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]

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]

As long as there's a hunger for heavy riffs, Monotonix will satify. [Oct 2009, p.111]

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]

Bulldozer lacks outstanding highlights, but is consistently enjoyable. It feels impossibly intimate, guarded and playful, all at once. [Nov 2013, p.88]

It does serves as an excellent point of entry for a new generation of fans, while reminding the complacent rest of us how the character of Sacramento's finest continues to endure. [Dec 2012, p.89]

While Pond reverts back to his laconic ways toward the album's end, the dazzling tracks leading us to that soft landing make up for the slight regression. [Mar 2013, p.92]

Owl City's second major-label effort is much more mature, dynamic and well-rounded. [Jun 2011, p.109]

Pretty.Odd can be summed up in one word: ambitious. [Apr 2008, p.147]

Bitter basement anthems have never sounded this sweet. [Apr 2017, p.80]

The songs are getting samey. [Sep 2003, p.102]

For what looks to be a one-off, it's remarkably fleshed out and intricate. [Oct 2008, p.151]

The second full-length from the New Zealand duo is pulled almost entirely from the second season of their HBO series, but little is lost in translation. [Nov 2009, p.109]

With Jace Lasek's glistening falsetto intertwining with wife Olga Goreas' dreamy midrange pipes, the Montreal group's third album, The Besnard Lakes Are The Roaring Night, creates a nocturnal viobe in broad daylight. [Apr 2010, p.122]

On their fourth full-length, they sound as menacing as ever. [Nov 2011, p.97]

It's a tidy package that's well-planned and executed, but with a few pop songs so well written, it's easy to want the band to shift directions and let the post-rock go by the wayside. [Sep 2009, p.100]

Though the songs are certainly longer than on Floor, Oblation actually harnesses greater energy than its self-titled predecessor. It's also tighter, its melodies more confident and stable than Floor, while buzzing along with their familiar, sludgy foundation, Sleep-y, Sunn O)))-y tone and all.

His most accessible and easiest listen yet. [Apr 2016, p.98]

A fully developed, worthwhile offering of Killswitch Engage's monstrous metal. [Apr 2016, p.102]

Thier debut album is one of the most inventive in recent memory. [Apr 2008, p.153]

While it may not achieve the same sort of emotional depth fellow math-rockers Foals have, it would still be wise to follow them in whatever they go. [May 2012, p.81]

Succeeds not solely as a studio recording, but as a reminder of how powerful the band's live show is. [Aug 2004, p.118]

In spite of the somewhat dour tone of this album, there’s plenty of musical depth and light to be found throughout.

The whole thing possesses the air of a woozy reverie, a gentle disengagement from reality. [Jun 2007, p.162]

In the end, this dark, penetrating album is a transitional record and should be viewed as such. [Dec 2007, p.172]

Beat The Champ takes you on a walloping emotional journey that proves great songwriting can compliment any subject matter. [May 2015, p.98]

Miracle Mile is a danceable record on its own, but also a reminder to revisit STRFKR's previous albums for a deeper submersion into their cosmic dream world. [Mar 2013, p.93]

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

While the other material is good, these moments are great. [Sep 2014, p.104]

Self Entitled benefits from his [Fat Mike's] more honest lyricism. [Oct 2012, p.90]

A swirling, guitar-driven headtrip. [Apr 2006, p.220]

An intriguing album. [Jun 2006, p.178]

The album's got its share of throwaways, but it's definately an artifact of a band reaching their peak. [Apr 2008, p.160]

'Part 2' is the album's most intense track, 'Part 3' is it's most intriguing. [Sep 2008, p.150]

The band are probably a little too ambitious for their own good, but kudos to them for not holding back.

Solid pop sensibility... [Nov 2001, p.89]

A surprisingly substantial collection of lyric-heavy, humbly grandiose barroom-rock storytelling... [Jul 2001, p.63]

Overall, Witching Hour abounds with sugary swirls of Cocteau Twins melancholia retooled for a post-electroclash world. [Dec 2005, p.218]

A lovely, delicate album marred only by a curious vocal idiosyncrasy... Linkous performs several of these songs in a near whisper... [Oct 2001, p.100]

The band's fifth studio album mostly keeps the BPMs brisk and retro-minded programming colorful. [Jul 2012, p.94]

It starts off strong... While the slow chug of "Divide" and the somewhat MOR jangle of "Teen Rocket" might have worked better as B-sides, they get it spot-on with "Wnat Would You Do." [Jul 2014, p.102]

It's an honest record, a welcome return and a confident entry in the Spiritualized canon. [July 2008, p.156]

While often only feeling like baby steps forward from Cokefloat!, YCF's determined traces of progress makes it a very worthy successor. [Jun 2014, p.110]

Where Music flowed with a pastoral warmth, Geogaddi feels colder and more mortal, bound to the tension between its upper and lower registers. [May 2002, p.78]

Come for the rock, but stay for Falkous' sarcasm-dripping bon mots. [Jun 2012, p.881]

A tame but rather satisfying affair. [Aug 2003, p.105]

The Flood, in contrast [to its self-titled debut], is a genuine statement of artistic purpose. [Jul 2011, p.110]

The result is an album that's dream-like and ephemeral, but still surprisingly grounded and catchy--no doubt the result of strong songwriting and a firm sense of time and place. [Aug 2010, p.152]