An emotive, evocative, electrifying mystery. [July 2002, p.88]

Packed with earnest but impotent stadium rock. [Jul. 2002, p.82]

A collection of stylistically diverse tunes that is cohesive and refreshing. [Jul 2002, p.76]

Costello clutters many fine compositions with kitchen-sink arrangements and cacophonous production that bring into focus how sorely missed estranged Attractions bassist Bruce Thomas is throughout. [Jun 2002, p.75]

While he's a better songwriter than a singer, Eitzel definitely knows his way around a tune. [Jun 2002, p.82]

Largely standard Luna fare: smooth, loungey, literate alt-pop with quirky yet instantly moving melodies. [Apr 2002, p.79]

A disheveled collection.... Westerberg's muse seems to switch on and off, from inspired to bored. [Jun 2002, p.90]

They've never sounded so confident and comfortable, if maybe a bit tired. [Jun 2002, p.80]

A foot-stomping, bum-shaking good time from beginning to end. [May 2002, p.80]

Dianogah's hypnotic grooves and continuous dynamic shifts make Millions of Brazilians ideal background music for hipster housecleaning. [July 2002, p.78]

They focus too little on well-made songs and too much on creating an angst-ridden atmosphere. [Jul 2002, p.78]

Control's exhilarating high points take Pedro's brooding, hesitantly melodic indie rock closer to Ozzfet than they've ever been. [Jul 2002, p.94]

Held together nicely by Armstrong's expertly scored strings and a generally tranquil tone common to most of his work. [Jun 2002, p.71]

MMW charge brazenly past cries of Jimmy Smith worship into territory rarely covered by artists either acoustic or electric. [Jun 2002, p.80]

On offers tight musicianship, intimate lyrics and a wider sonic berth in comparison to indie pop's lyrically trite mistake celebrations. [May 2002, p.90]

Exquisitely crafted folk-pop minimalism that whispers with profundity and burrows deep into your heart. [July 2002, p.84]

If the vocals on Electric Sweat were produced as flawlessly as the guitars, and perhaps a different song order were arranged for a better flow, this album could be a retro-rock classic alongside other "hindsight visionaries" like the Vue or the Strokes. [May 2002, p.94]

The sound is just as expected: sweaty, sexy and leaner than a Thanksgiving turkey. [May 2002, p.94]

Perfect major-label American alt-rock--slick, smart and serious enough without being somber to reach out to even the least emotionally confused people without scaring off the moody ones. [May 2002, p.94]

Just what the doctor ordered for those underwhelmed by last year's Built To Spill album. [Jul 2002, p.94]

Slow and achingly graceful, L'Altra's mellow moods are welcome any time of day. [Jul 2002, p.76]

Instead of rehashing rap and rock, he smashes up pop melodies, metal riffs and industrial beats with a hammer, creating something that teeters on parody yet heralds an enthusiastic return to the days when hair metal knew how to get the crowds loaded. [Apr 2002, p.65]

Dangers' music remains remarkably fresh and adventurous. [June 2002, p.80]

A well-crafted ode to cock rock, minus the cliches. [May 2002, p.98]

May be Jackson's best work to date.... Playgroup is effortlessly retro, without sounding dated. [Apr 2002, p.80]

Unfortunately, the pretentious spoken-word ramblings, corny hooks and unremarkable trance put Maas, along with Paul Van Dyk and BT, in a less illustrious category: top-notch DJs with second-rate albums under their belts. [May 2002, p.90]

There's no doubt their musical literacy is impressive, but for every cliche it erases, Rings Around The World embraces two more. [May 2002, p.98]

KMFDM rebound from the lukewarm MDFMK project pulsing and palpitating with a sense of urgency that proves this machine is not obsolete. [May 2002, p.88]