A spellbynding brew. [Nov 2020, p.87]

They need just a little more musical and emotional grit to avoid fully surrendering to pastel-shaded midlife mellowness. [Jun 2021, p.76]

His vocals might lack memorable character, but right now the forceful energy he throws into his songs is enough. [Jul 2021, p.86]

It's hardly essential, but not without charm. [Summer 2019, p.87]

An hour of sheer roar-along brilliance. ... Stupendous. [Jun 2020, p.88]

Mariani's ear for melody lifts it above the ordinary. ... Terrific. [Jun 2020, p.86]

It's Biffy Clyro producer Dan Austin, who adds lustre to YMAS's lonely bones. [Apr 2021, p.89]

Goat's best album. [Nov 2022, p.70]

The likes of Crocodile Smile and Love Is Like Gravity seem to teeter on the brink of chaos, but these seasoned players hang these pieces together faithfully and beautifully, jutting and jagging every which way, conjuring up the vivid abstractions of Thomas's lyrical visions. [Jul 2023, p.87]

An impeccable, emotionally undulating, ultimately defiant set of songs from an old master. [Jul 2024, p.82]

The entire album's tremendous fun, uniquely brilliant and brilliantly unique. [Sep 2025, p.76]

Some of the album's best moments come when Wheeler turns the lens on himself. .... With Ad stra Ash are reborn again: older, wiser, but sounding not a wrinkle of it. [Nov 2025, p.74]

A fine punk album, but no more than that. [Summer 2014, p.92]

You don't come to this band foe an easy rode and a soothing soundtrack to while away the hours; you come to them to be pummelled with some horrible but mesmerising noise. And on Synthesizer they deliver in abundance once again. [Nov 2024, p.75]

Confessional, witty, with a touch of The Vaselines, Swear I’m Good At This finds singer Alex Luciano magnifying small daily failures and turning them into works of art.

The result is a compact and highly combustible album that packs 10 songs into just 22 minutes. [Aug 2022, p.86]

Lost Domain will leave the listener raw. [Jan 2015, p.114]

Sound-wise there's a gravelly, mature, post-punk bluesiness about The The in 2024, some of the blackness of Johnny Cash. But there are silvery moments of hopelessness. [Sep 2024, p.71]

This eleventh album - earthy, grain-infused Americana folk rock and eerie noir-country in tone - sounding like Hersh sinking deep into the southern soil. [Apr 2025, p.70]

It's strident without being brash, starry without being pompous, middle of the road without being bland. [Mar 2022, p.84]

The Width Of A Circle displays brilliantly, he's not so much planning his next move as constantly shape-shifting. [Jul 2021, p.92]

Though it's arranged into four old-school sides, lob on a download card full of bonus material and home movies and it's a retro-modern package to make old Muddy's eyes water. [Nov 2013, p.94]

Every Loser captures an Iggy Pop never more ready to be himself and never better equipped to deliver a stone-cold classic. [Feb 2023, p.78]

Electric is a return to one of his best attributes, the snarling electric guitar. [Mar 2013, p. 95]

It’s obvious that under the production guidance of Andy Sneap, the band have been pushed on every level. The result is one of the best metal albums of 2016--one that proves Testament can match anyone.

The album pushes an inspired blues-hued blend of their irreverent moonshine gospel romps--‘Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition’ sings Love on Exodus (Movement Of War People)--comedown confessionals (Nothing To Lose But Your Chains) and gutbucket reflection (Rattlesnake Woman), all crucially spiked with the blackest humour.