Listening to American Central Dust ultimately feels a bit too much like working on an assembly line. [Aug 2009, p.114]

Sounds like a teenage Faith No More at their first practice. [Sep 2003, p.116]

Painfully pretentious, plodding, self-indulgent drivel. [Jun 2003, p.97]

There is little on Golden State to differentiate it from its predecessors. [Dec 2001, p.76]

Deheza's still a fine singer and there are plenty of interesting tones and sounds flitting across the background, but all it ever coalesces into is wan, directionless, dance rock.

California sounds like what Blink-182 probably should sound like in 2016: upbeat, hooky and, above anything else, a total blast. Some will call the lack of truly progressive moments a regression while others will hail the album for being a breezy throwback. But Hoppus, Skiba and Barker have given Blink-182 momentum for future productivity and success.

Ultimately, the album's main fault is its resolute consistency, namely the fact that things basically run on one speed, and it gets repetitive quickly.

Multicultural rage is all well and good, but when you cop your flow from Vanilla Ice, it undermines your underground cred. [Jan 2002, p.98]

Solidly entertaining. [Aug 2004, p.122]

They lard The Printz with rote Aggressive Rock Radio fodder. [Jul 2004, p.148]

Bubblegum electronica with enough experimentation to keep things interesting. [Oct 2001, p.86]

On some songs... the cutting-and-pasting fails to produce anything new, but a handful of others blend their textures beautifully. [Sep 2004, p.122]

Rewolf is as essential to Asobi Seksu's oeuvre as any of their preceding records. [Dec 2009, p.108]

Unfortunately, the band overcompensate for all the testosterone with modern-rock romps like "Some Say" and with bland ballads like "Slipping Away." [Dec 2004, p.142]

Bright Lights is a super-serious record that demostrates some super-serious song craft. [May 2008, p.130]

Mostly, the band have improved their songcraft and melodies, as evident in the positively infectious album highlight "Bad Blood." [Apr 2010, p.122]

The album doesn’t work for all moods or times of day. It’s a dusk-to-dawn kind of collection that emanates a lovely, flickering fire-like glow from within.

Aveo's songwriting isn't as intriguing as their sound. [May 2004, p.94]

Yes, it sounds like Yes, and, no, I don't mean that in a good way. [Nov 2003, p.99]

Closest in style to 'Systemisch', it lacks the sublime glow of 'Diskont94', but it updates the former's chugging wash with a more varied tonal palette. [#146, p.97]

Other than "I Ejaculate Fire," the lyrics aren't that funny--it often seems like Small is trying to write real metal songs. And it's hard to see the point of that.

Yuck probably aren't mourning Blumberg's loss, but Glow & Behold--though more scattershot and less striking than Yuck--would be an ambitious and creative coping mechanism. [Nov 2013, p.94]

Contains three best-of-year-brilliant songs. [Mar 2006, p.124]

Even if McMahon's inspiration (lyrical and otherwise) are transparent on Passenger, the execution of his influences is impeccable. [Oct 2008, p.147]

Invicta is a real treat. [Feb 2012, p.84]

When they stick to the ’60s Cali Pop of the uplifting “We Are Done” and dreamy “California Rain,” they produce some remarkably winning songs worthy of van-loads of bearded, guitar-toting indie popsters aping the Beach Boys and the Mommas And The Papas. When they miss, though, it’s more unbearable than rush hour traffic on the 405.

Though such pop gloss ruins many indie acts, it fits CSS as snugly as vocalist Lovefoxx's Lycra stagewear. [Sep 2008, p.162]

In comparison with many imitators, Tanaka does what he does well... [Aug 2001, p.88]