Even if it's easy to miss the full-tilt pyrotechnics of yore, Reis' new approach allows you to appreciate his wound-tight tunecraft like never before.

Though it could use some portion control, "The Cookbook" still whips up a tasty meal.

A quality album. [6 May 2006]

Some of the fierce headbanging that is Mudvayne's stock in trade can still be found in 'The Hate in Me,' 'We the People' and 'Dull Boy,' but the bulk of the record finds the group playing its New Game with hard-hitting exuberance.

It's unfortunate that much of their sophomore effort is submerged in an ocean of heavy-handed production, so deep that the boys' natural talents struggle to break the surface.

Those who embraced "Fallen" will doubtlessly fall even harder into "The Open Door."

The Game goes surprisingly mellow in comparison to his first two efforts.

Like so many Young albums, there are the tracks that rise to another level (the 'Ragged Glory'-like 'Just Singing a Song' included) and there are those destined to be forgotten. True to himself, though, Young is inspired throughout.

But after moving past those first moments of seeming artist/song incongruity, the listener will discover an album full of pleasant surprises and vocals that show Stewart in a most flattering light.

"Ultra Payloaded" is a party record that veers from the light, airy and catchy to the absolutely crankable. [2 Jun 2007]

It's all well and good, but we've mostly heard it before.

With few female MCs truly representing these days, Northern State's "All City" is a breath of fresh air.

His delivery is intoxicatingly smooth, even if his lyrics travel all the usual exhausted topics.

Lovebox veers more toward the rock and soul spectrum than previous efforts.

The 77-minute-long "Frances" unfolds upon multiple listens, sometimes threatening to collapse under its own pretensions (meandering musical passages, sound effects), but ultimately, it is an ambitious and rewarding album.

The album is front-loaded with these relatively energetic tracks. Much of the rest ('End of the Land,' 'Song of Home') is resigned, reflective and spiritually attuned, but not always keenly focused.

A good old-fashioned mod-punk'n'roll record--nothing more, certainly nothing less.

His ambitions and self-awareness have grown nearly as much as his net worth. [2 Dec 2006]

This debut can't quite capture the wide-eyed euphoria of a Klaxons live show, but readymade anthems like "Golden Skans," "Totem on the Timeline" and "Magick" will energize dance fans and rockers alike.

Anyone expecting something akin to a new Björk studio recording may not enjoy "Drawing Restraint 9," but taken at face value, the disc is a rewarding sidestep. [27 Aug 2005]

Equally stands as Six Organs' most accessible and complex collection to date.

That this album could just as easily have come out in 1985 is no detriment to its consistently entertaining songs. [24 Feb 2007]

Sonic sap threatens everything here, but Edmonds usually manages to stave off Hallmark ickiness with an ear-tickling detail or two.

Although the album tends to meander at times, with too many similarly arranged tracks clumped together, the individual highlights here are inspired enough to make "The Covers Record" a unique work in its own right.

Their most organic-sounding album since 1995's "Clouds Taste Metallic."

An ambitious, aurally rich suite of storytelling songs.

Two things hold the set together: Mark Bell's quirky, other-worldly production and Dave Gahan's still-haunting voice, which has never been more agile.

Though a few tracks like 'That's How People Grow Up' fall back on overused Morrissey formulas, others like the Latin-tinged 'When Last I Saw Carol' add welcome variety.