More cohesive and less frantic. [Apr 2007, p.180]

K-os occasionally veers into icky soft-pop territory on Atlantis, but give him props for mostly imagining where hip-hop might go in the future rather than recycling its past. [Mar 2007, p.144]

It's a bit unfortunate that the Irishmen decided to keep their songwriting and musical prowess stagnant. [Mar 2007, p.143]

[They] still fuse rock with techno with more nonchalant poise than nearly anybody else, but they've also crafted some of their most gorgeous tunes here. [Mar 2007, p.137]

Too many songs rely on sappy love-song cliches, bland arrangements or saccharine lyrics. [Mar 2007, p.135]

Being bent out of shape never sounded so good. [Mar 2007, p.142]

Even in its darkest moments... [This Too] remains grounded in a beautiful humanity. [Mar 2007, p.136]

They play things way too safe... which makes for a rather boring listening experience. [Mar 2007, p.142]

The most sophistcated punk-pop you'll ever hear. [Mar 2007, p.136]

Some of the band's most gut-wrenching and powerful melodies to date. [Mar 2007, p.133]

There are no walls of distortion or crunching riffs; this time, they've traded all that for the beauty of Craig B.'s vocals and understated ambience. [Apr 2007, p.180]

Some Loud Thunder isn't without its successes--but it is defined by its failures. [Feb 2007, p.114]

Despite plenty of subtle charm and wistfulness, the band's implicit pursuit of warmth occasionally veers off course to flirt with surprising sterility. [Feb 2007, p.115]

Undoubtedly his catchiest record so far. [Feb 2007, p.122]

[It] has a charm that transcends your typical noise-splunk band. [Mar 2007, p.145]

The need for The Need is debatable, but it's a nice addition to Anticon's growing catalog of successful experiments. [Mar 2007, p.144]

A sobering reminder of how frustrating it can be when a talented group become tethered to their established aesthetic. [Feb 2007, p.118]

Deerhoof's 13 years of experience have honed their sound to near perfection and is pleasing even to the most critical of ears. [Mar 2007, p.136]

[It] comes off as another Albarn project that's neither amazing or anathema. [Feb 2007, p.122]

[It] feels more put-on than intimate, more tried than true. [Feb 2007, p.109]

With this completely progressive and mature effort, it's clear that Barnes is one of indie rock's most gifted songwriters. [Feb 2007, p.115]

The combination of thundering drums with whimsical vocals and melodies can be charming, insanely catchy and headache-inducing, sometimes all at once. [Feb 2007, p.114]

Saturated with stark realism, her confessionals and fictions mark the grueling aftermath of pop's lovey-dovey daydreams. [Mar 2007, p.136]

Whether you're a fan of Pinback or Goblin Cock, you can probably find something worth listening to on Living Well. [Mar 2007, p.135]

Overall, it's what you'd expect from Incubus--and that isn't a bad thing. [Jan 2007, p.138]

It seems that when you mix superstar indie-ites, everything is increased exponentially. [Dec 2006, p.190]

A quantum leap above not only Brand New's prior work... but beyond anything that any band in this scene are currently creating. [Jan 2007, p.129]

The beating heart of Newsom's tales, at turns whimsical and melancholic, enchant with a simple calculus: A woman, a harp and a story to tell. [Dec 2006, p.190]