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

Chris Conley's metaphorical lyrics remain earnest enough, but because of studio trickery, his vocals sound annoyingly nasal. [Oct 2003, p.120]

Decidedly mellow and acoustic in nature, 'Excuses' continues [Neil] Halstead's love affair with country, folk, and pop.... masterfully written, recorded, and played. [#147, p.103]

Stereolab continue to elevate breezy retro pop to luxurious new heights of spac-age swank and bilingual bliss. [Mar 2004, p.94]

This cause-minded screamo-ish collective is older and more grounded, but are no less committed to inciting change that sticks. [Jul 2015, p.98]

Somewhat mirthless and at times downright android-sexy, The Eraser is what many Radiohead fans have come to expect from Yorke in recent years. [Sep 2006, p.228]

[Rave Tapes is] some of the prettiest work they've recorded. [Feb 2014, p.92]

The Nirvana box set isn't the Holy Grail. The Nirvana box set isn't even Incesticide. [Jan 2005, p.105]

The recordings have the warmth and pop of a vinyl record, creating a perfect environment for Adams to honor his influences.

The signature '97's twang takes a backseat to finely tuned pop songs. The downside? It falls short of going anywhere new musically. [Jul 2009, p.130]

When she and bandmates Sara Lund and Seth Lorinczi kick into distorted overdrive on searing tracks like "Pulling Pieces" and "Doubt," it only makes Tucker's return more welcome. [Nov 2010, p.116]

The album's missteps appear when the band slows things down; but for the most part, First World Manifesto is Pop-Punk 101, which is to be expected from a bunch of veterans. [Apr 2011, p.122]

Every moment on Dealer feels intentional, and as a result, gorgeous. [Nov 2015, p.96]

Mazzy Star may not have evolved much over the past 17 years, but Season Of Your Day proves they never, ever need to. [Oct 2013, p.88]

Alone, Air and Earth are the weakest of the EPs, but taken as a whole, Thrice have managed to convert an ultra-abstract concept into a cohesive and innovative collection. [May 2008, p.143]

From Death To Destiny also features a better Avenged Sevenfold song than that band's ever written in "White Line Fever," and some genuinely affecting strings on “Run Free.” Even if Worsnop refuses to grow up, his bandmates seem to be trying.

The Flatliners here transcend genre distinctions to make a great rock record, period. [Oct 2013, p.94]

Go is a genuinely beautiful, emotionally resonant must-hear. [Apr 2010, p.126]

Floyd kick the shit out of 99 percent of the current post-rock crop, so you can't fault CBP for clinging to Picasso's claim that "Good artists copy; great artists steal." [Jun 2009, p.104]

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

These five songs show the band branching off into some surprising directions. [Jun 2003, p.103]

As perfect pop goes, the Januaries hit all the right exotic buttons. Their songs bubble with Stereolab's bop-ba-bop melodies, glide effortlessly on Saint Etienne's dance-savvy '60s pop, and float on Air's variety-show timelessness. [12/2000, p.99]

The tracks are teeming with intelligence, melody and some tempered anger thrown in for good measure, saving the band from being labeled as mere copycat. [Mar 2014, p.93]

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.

Crafted with peaks at the beginning, middle and end, Watch Me Fall is the album Jay Reatard made so we can watch him do the opposite. [Sep 2009, p.108]

Wolf's delivery is more restrained as he refrains from his usual outbursts of energy. [Oct 2009, p.115]

We Don't Even Live Here explores the dementia of our current moment with its charged, nihilistic lyrics and a sonic swell of electronic experimentalism. [Nov 2012, p.92]

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