Hit or miss. [Dec 2003, p.154]

Xiu Xiu nail their nebulous mix of new wave and post-punk gloom, but also lace their tunes with uncompromising experimentation and emotion. [Apr 2004, p.88]

It's a thing of subversive beauty, a striking debut that's self-assured and captivating. [Mar 2004, p.104]

The most powerful, viscerally brutal album the quartet have released to date. [Sep 2001, p.100]

While the pair should have more fully explored such detours from the norm, Revolutions Per Minute is arguably the finest hour for both Kweli and Hi-Tek.

Distractingly crowded soundscapes throb like an all-night rave, leaving you too exhausted and battered to pay attention to the words, a major deficiency for a hip-hop album.

The band may have taken their time, but the finished product more than justifies the wait. [Mar 2014, p.89]

This is a farewell album, but the band are going out at full strength. [Jun 2014, p.104]

While A Chance may not move Matmos any closer to either the song or sound distinction, perhaps the fact that their music consistently provokes smiles and dark thought with increasing accessibility warrants our continued, if not increased, attention... [#154, p.76]

It ain't pretty, but the intensity is undeniable. [Mar 2013, p.92]

As usual, the production is raw with traces of the recording process still evident. Although Transference lacks the overwhelming variety of "Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga," there are notable moments of exploration. [Feb 2010, p.96]

It might sound formulaic, if it weren't so gorgeous. [Jun 2009, p.102]

The album doesn't have the reunion hype that helped make American Music Club's "Love Songs For Patriots" such an event. What it does have is songwriting. [Mar 2008, p.140]

His heavily metal solo debut delivers bigger stylistic departures (and wilder guitar solos) than his other side projects. [Aug 2011, p.114]

Being lacks enough urgency to sustain nearly 38 full-throttle minutes and becomes an analogy for the unvarying capitalization on its record sleeve.

Finally makes good on Malkmus' claims of musical maturity. [Apr 2003, p.80]

When they're on, they're really fucking on. [Dec 2002, p.94]

Did we say "hard to resist?" Make that "impossible." [Aug 2006, p.224]

There Is A Hell is an impressive and ambitious third effort that proves these Brits have staying power. [Nov 2010, p.109]

In Many ways, No Age have successfully distilled the pop essence of early-90s Sonic Youth: no mean feat, just not as memorable as last time. [Oct 2010, p.116]

C'mon, which was the band recorded in an old church in their hometown of Duluth, Minnesota, has moments of slowcore brilliance. [May 2011, p.93]

The vocals are one of the duo's strongest points, but the entertaining and skillful guitar work is right up there, as is the songwriting dynamics and arrangement prowess. In other words, everything about this one is a winner.

With Ancient Melodies, Built To Spill are concentrating more on developing a single idea rather than worrying about the patchworking of the past. This fails to play to Built To Spill's strength: their firm handle on alt-guitar dynamics. [Aug 2001, p.78]

She's gone from being an indie rocker's wet dream to sounding like the most NPR-friendly singer-songwriter your parents haven't discovered yet. [Mar 2006, p.124]

The lofty expectations are met in full with Saturnalia. [Apr 2008, p.160]

Auerbach moves flawlessly through all of his favorite frames of references. [Mar 2009, p.112]

A patchwork quilt of wispy Britpop ballads soaring majestically in an effort to overcome their own blandness. [Oct 2002, p.78]

Although the lovable weirdness seems absent this time around, fans will be in for a solid and consistent rock album from start to finish.