The vocal strength that he displays elsewhere on the album isn’t there. There is the decided feeling of potential not being realised.

No alarms and no real surprises, yet the execution carries Crystal Castles 2.0 through.

While there's a noticeable over-reliance on antiquated classic rock bravado, there's plenty of space to explore here to keep the most discerning noise-rock fan interested.

Those wanting significant progression will find Surrounded By Silence mostly lacking.

Lucky aims high but once again falls short.

By no means is this album a disappointment, rather it’s an attempt to fill a particular niche for a specific audience.

There is no doubt that this side of Lil B is his most genuine and I'm sure as a statement Im Gay (Im Happy) is sincere just not quite how you might have assumed.

This is a very well-made album; heads will nod and feet will tap. But it doesn't capture that molten energy that the Icarus Line have been capable of in the past, and as such falls short of greatness

This album is another positive step in the evolution of an intriguing band.

A Oneida stop-gap rehearsal session is more satisfying than most bands' carefully crafted showcase albums, but this LP doesn't reach the same dizzy heights as their previous run of mind-blowing releases.

While The Hold Steady haven't made a bad album this time, they haven't made a really good one either. It's a good album with some problems.

Here's a band skipping from one musical fragment to the next with the reckless abandon of youth, trying out ideas, finding their strengths.

Young the Giant are aiming for big things and they come close.

Delirum has the feel of a late-period Britney album, where production is prized above personality.

Ultimately, while the record will prove to be an enjoyable distraction for ardent fans, it’s hard to shake the feeling that these revamps might have been better saved for the live setting.

Does Tentacles live up to those high standards? Nah, but it doesn’t embarrass itself, and that’s praise enough.

Unfortunately, Indigo Meadow is a so-so affair that never quite fulfills expectations.

Tides [is] a somewhat unbalanced listen, with both genuine highs and a few frustrating lows.

On #N/A the skill of the trio (plus one) is more than evident, it’s just a shame they didn’t try and inject just a little more variety into the mix as well.

It is hard to really know if there is a place for cricket concept albums. Certainly there's a time and a place for them and at the start of an Ashes summer is just that--it's perfect timing from Hannon and Walsh.

A little more clarity wouldn't have gone amiss here and there, but there's enough on offer to bring curious listeners back for repeated spins, which is just as well, as More Faithful is definitely a grower.

The songcraft is back, but the romance is still missing.

Unfortunately, the remix format really extracts and commodifies the sounds of the original albums rather than do anything wildly different or interesting to it. The mix might sound alright on the dancefloor, but so would the original effectively mixed into a good DJ set.

Overall, Alive As You Are's sea change is perhaps just a little too severe to fully engage with in one sitting, and despite the band's insistence this record represents a significant step forward, its retrogressive veneer casts something of a bewildering shadow.

Though it has merit in the strength of its content, Pond Scum may be only one for the collectors.

The music is dynamic, danceable and largely based around swelling arpeggios of stabbing synths, but it remains resolutely cold, major keys avoided.

The songwriting is solid but although their overall sonic palate has been shuffled, they remain a band largely focused on doing things with a tried-and-tested format.

As long as sincerity still counts for something and melody remains king, we'll let these qualms lie and lap up a record that's chock-a-block with comfort food choruses.