The duo-especially Urie, who turns in some of the premier performances of his career-sound absolutely recharged, likely a result of the lineup shuffling, but also perhaps a realization that the '70s were a nice place to visit for a couple years, but life in the 21st century is much more fun.

It's a handy metaphor for the record, and Folds in general: Obsessed with love but with a careful eye for the absurd, humanizing details. [Nov 2008, p.160]

Beyond weird? Yes, but in the best, most deliciously mind-bending of ways. [Oct 2013, p.88]

It's clear the band have grown up. [Apr 2009, p.135]

It's a moody composition with occasional moments of brilliance that will ultimately leave most listeners as confused as they are content. [Oct 2009, p.114]

Battle For The Sun takes the best elements of thier sound and focuses it into a cohesive listening experience--there's no filler to be found. [Jul 2009, p.130]

Matt and Kim deserve albums that sound clean and ambitious, but in all of Sidewalk's studio processing, their endearing personalities--decidedly brash, raw and awesome--unfortunately aren't well-represented. [Jan 2011, p.93]

A batch of lazy mid-afternoon pop songs that only sound better when his friends from Wilco show up to sing along. [Apr 2004, p.86]

There is very little here that makes any sort of meaningful connection. [Dec 2001, p.85]

Like a late-night screening of Blue Velvet, it may be hard to get through, but impossible to ignore. [Dec 2011, p.121]

At once loud and elegant, Karmacode raises Lacuna Coil's heaviness tenfold without sacrificing a drop of the band's mystical ambience. [May 2006, p.168]

Sweaty and thick, convincingly urgent and highly sexual. [Jul 2006, p.210]

This is some subversive fun. Baffling, however, is a nearly note-for-note sonic reproduction of the Queen hit "Bohemian Rhapsody." [Mar 2013, p.93]

This, more than any of their releases to date, is an actual album. [Jun 2002, p.90]

The disc's bread and butter is Auf Der Maur's smoking riffs. [Jun 2004, p.106]

There are faint notes of Bossa Nova and Kate Bush in Bejar's sunny yet skewed arrangements--femme flights of fancy that brush past '70s and '80s folk-pop without sounding less than organic and original.

There Are Rules truly stands out in the members' collective catalogs as a completely unique entity, and one that should be viewed as nothing less than an absolutely stunning success. [Feb 2011, p.85]

Pop's dirty-bassed rock may expand T.'s audience, but it's diminished his art. [Sep 2005, p.170]

With shorter songs and more restrained production it lacks the epic quality of its predecessor, and overall it is weaker for it.

A meticulous, flashy electronic-rock opus that doesn't come close to meeting its rock-star aspirations. [Sep 2001, p.76]

More fun than most of the original NYC no-wave bands to which the Seconds pay tribute. [May 2006, p.178]

Too Much Information has just the right balance of depth, maturity and consistency to ensure success. [Mar 2014, p.93]

Most of Neighborhood Watch is uncompromising proof that hip-hoppers, like rockers, can move units and still stay true. [May 2004, p.106]

There’s something un-Pixielike about that tentativeness, yes, but surely this group, and these fine if uncharacteristic songs, should have the chance to re-enter pop life on their own older, wiser terms.

Honkey Kong exhibits Hughes' versatility as a songwriter and performer, but it's at the expense of sonic continuity. [Oct 2011, p.106]

In place of Morcheeba's poetic brooding is a poppy, chorus-hook-chorus songwriting style that will probably irk a lot of their fans.... From the sounds of it, Morcheeba are going for the teen-pop market... [#146, p.104]

Bad news for fans of either party who'd expected the union to generate something revolutionary. [Dec 2002, p.85]

[Stephin] Merritt likes to sing about dancing--'I'm Lonely' gives us good reason to join him on the floor. [#147, p.92]