Lysandre proves the chameleonic Owen can say the same thing over and over and never run out of inspiration. [Feb 2013, p.92]

Some songs' lyrics feel a bit too rote ("Makeout Party," "Lazy Bones") but that's when you realize Green Day never really had all that much to say in the first place, and they function at their best with hook-filled songs that are typically three minutes or less. Luckily for us, ¡Dos! is full of those tracks, and is definitely the highlight of the band's ongoing trilogy to date.

The 15 songs here chart a typical course through the American songbook, with paradoxically straight-faced camp, morose show tunes and orchestral chamber pop without the aid of an actual orchestra. [Apr 2012, p.96]

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]

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]

You’re unlikely to hear a more earnest album than Bleachers' Strange Desire this year, nor are you apt to find a release more faithful to the spirit and sound of Top 40 radio in the late, great ’80s.

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

[Makes Me Sick] creates enough slight sonic diversions to give longtime fans something new to enjoy. [May 2017, p.82]

Forget imperfect--this bold reinvention is anything but. [Oct 2010, p.117]

There are more detours, from austere acoustic avenues to vocodered pop to '80s disco, to fill you with hope for the next decade's offerings. [Feb 2010, p.94]

Packs enough bite to nourish a Third World country. [Mar 2003, p.96]

James Jackson Toth's solo debut has the depth, energy and character of a great comedy. [Sep 2008, p.151]

Though their sometimes generic juddering occasionally dulls the impact, it's still clear the Color Morale are trying to be more than just "another one of those bands." [Apr 2013, p.88]

Instead of cleverness, the polished songs indulge here sentimental broken heart. Bandmate M. Ward is mostly content to stay out of the way vocally, but he builds up a castle of retro-instrumental heartbreak for Deschanel. [Jun 2013, p.102]

Today, yet another album filled with introverted hip-hop instrumentals--even one with occasional moments of beauty radiating from the murk--is doomed by comparison to the more innovative work the label has been offering lately. [Mar 2006, p.138]

There's nothing here that will lead Disguises to be hailed as a masterpiece, because there's nothing here that hasn't already been done before--either by other bands or by Aiden themselves--but it's nevertheless a solid piece of work that demonstrates the power and passion of their dark melodies.

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

The result is a collection of gutsy, grizzled blues that pirouettes with broken-hearted defiance. [Feb 2013, p.88]

It's rad that Finch are back together sounding sharp, but the creative differences that led to this album being nearly a decade in the making remain apparent. [Oct 2014, p.100]

Limitless might not be the album their fans all completely agree on, but it does mark a maturing band. [Mar 2016, p.96]

A brave and defiant effort. [May 2017, p.80]

The Blood Of Gods strips away unnecessary studio wizardry and presents GWAR in its rawest sonic state, opting for a rough-and-tumble attitude. Nearly every beat and riff on the record screams for listeners to pay attention.

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]

For those who like their sweetness a little sour. [Jul 2011, p.110]

This music has aged well, and nearly transcends nostalgia.

Like Wilco, it's what SA do with what they've borrowed. It helps that the duo stitch it up Frankenstein-style and move on to the next idea fast. [Aug 2008, p.162]

Sounds rather pedestrian. [Jan 2006, p.142]