Ascension hits the sweet spot between the gnarliness they've re-embraced over the last decade and the goth-tinged grandeur and sense of melody that has always been a part of their music. [Oct 2025, p.75]

A fitting coda for one of rock's great outsider voices. [Jan 2026, p.80]

Nathaniel Rateliff serves up a heavenly cloud of backing vocals on Beautiful Strangers. And while Eddie Hinton's Everybody Needs Love sounds a little trite written down, spiced by a Bonnie Raitt slide solo it's irresistible. [Jan 2026, p.79]

This beautiful album will continue to reveal more with every listen, and those repeated listens will be irresistible. [Jan 2026, p.78]

Black And Blue is the sound of an enduring rock’n’roll firm updating the business. .... Expanded versions of this reissue include loose workouts with Jeff Beck, who entertained himself on the Meters-like funk of Rotterdam Jam. [Jan 2026, p.84]

Eric's new version brings a new lo-fi energy and the maturity of a dark ray Davies. .... This is truly a great album. [Dec 2025, p.76]

Sure, there are no surprises here but then again, none are needed. [Dec 2025, p.77]

Satirising the music industry itself as impressively as The Fall, The Sherlock Holmes... is classic Headcoats. [Dec 2025, p.77]

As a collection, Anthology 4 charts a parallel path through the Beatles’ career, one with a tacky postscript in the 21st century. As a Beatles record, it is not very good, offering nothing exciting in terms of rarities (wow, the “strings only” version of Something from the Abbey Road 50th anniversary edition) or insight. [Dec 2025, p.84]

The 1LP version is heaven-sent hitsville. .... The 3LP version is where things loosen up, as (relative) deep cuts strut their stuff. [Dec 2025, p.83]

Punk never sounded more soulful. [Dec 2025, p.83]

It's a mad house of friction, attitude and ambition. [Oct 2025, p.77]

A vivid chronicle of his rapid ascent and growth as an artist, it captures the thrill of a young man finding his voice while making an indelible mark on history. .... A whole lotta Dylan for your dollar, and it's worth every cent. [Dec 2025, p.86]

What resonates is how creatively potent he remains. [Dec 2025, p.75]

While there's no getting around the fact that this five-disc set has been released to promote said film - even the Boss isn't above cross-platform media marketing - it still succeeds as the last revealing word on the album's gestation. [Dec 2025, p.83]

It can't and shouldn't replace the original, but this is a fascinating insight into the band's creative process and latter-day regrets. [Dec 2025, p.79]

It only ever recalls a fuzz-jangling, beefed-up Sundays is surprising, but yeah, it'll do. [Dec 2025, p.79]

For The Sake Of Bethel Woods confirmed that they are not the band they once were but A Bridge To Far flows directly on from there with many of the songs more theoretical in nature. [Dec 2025, p.78]

One of those rare and precious rock records: instantly bewitching but oozing with moments to feat on time after time. [Dec 2025, p.76]

The Charlatans of this 14th album have evolved into a far richer and more reflective band, as much concerned with inner as outer spaces. [Dec 2025, p.75]

It's rock. Everything pounds excitedly, Rick Neilsen's guitars garrulous, until the inevitable slow one halfway through as a token node to light and shade. [Dec 2025, p.74]

The pace of Duets Special is slow and steady, so inevitably there are moments where it drags a little, but to hear one of the great rock voices of her era in her element, sharing the music she loves with musicians she respects and complements, is a quiet, low-key joy to behold. [Nov 2025, p.80]

This is glorious stuff: the punchy, thin lipped Church & State; the affecting wonderfully harmonies of A Woman Oversees; the slowly uncoiling storytelling bound up in the lingering A Long Goodbye. [Nov 2025, p.77]

Love Chant is a wonderful and surprisingly vital return to the fray. [Nov 2025, p,75]

Idlewild remain as dependable as ever. [Nov 2025, p.78]

The best 1983 album released in 2025. [Nov 2025, p.78]

Lawrence has delivered the best daft/sincere novelty pop album you'll hear all yeat. It's a sugar rush. [Nov 2025, p.81]

Genre-defying angst never sounded so good. [Nov 2025, p.80]