The trio continues mixing and mismatching, with both elements of Skulls' sound [Black Keys' rock and Radiohead's honey-eyed longing] feeling even more pronounced. [No. 85, p. 52]

While the abundance of previously unreleased rarities make this must-have fare for any self-respecting Pumpkins fan, Aeroplane does little but highlight how far past his prime Corgan is. [No. 102, p.60]

The songs work as robust individuals, as well as in the dynamic context of the album's sequencing; up-tempo rockers connect with sparse 'n' sullen twangers. [No.91, p.53]

Like Bazan's best work, Blanco is simultaneously uplifting and melancholic, hopelessly hopeful and beautifully dented. [No. 133, p.55]

A surprisingly mature effort. [#71, p.112]

The new one is faster, hookier, cleaner. [No. 95, p.52]

Shapiro's singing is as wispy and wafer-thin as ever, her limp, lovelorn lamentations just as piteously plaintive. Your call whether that's charming or cloying, but it's not exactly the most versatile approach. [No. 96, p.59]

On Lost At Last, Vol. 1, he trusted in the spontaneous nature of creation, letting the songs dictate the direction the arrangements take. Eighteen players joined him in the studio, but they remain in the background, mixed down to add subtle, almost invisible nuance to these bleak songs of heartache and dejection. [No. 149, p.59]

With a snarl on their lisp, drums set to bash and guitars red-lining all the way, snotty new Cribs anthems such as "Year Of Hate" and "Partisan" shine within Albini's typical sonic verite approach to recording. [No. 145, p.53]

The anthemic, fist-pumping nature of the originals has been reimagined in a brooding acoustic darkness more reminiscent of Bruce Springsteen's then-previous work, Nebraska. [No. 113, p.81]

Feedback is the duct tape that holds it all together. There might be a little dirt on it, but it's still good. [No. 124, p.55]

This is dense and metallic and gorgeous. [#82, p.57]

For all its guest appearances (Neko Case, Silver Jews’ Brian Kotzur and Devotchka’s Tom Hagerman), the album’s overall sound is tight and consistent.

On their fifth album, the ’Hangers burrow deep into the world of post-garage pop that feels not too far afield from Georgia indie-rock kin Pylon covering Suzi Quatro. [No. 131, p.55]

This sounds like grim stuff, but Gordon and Co. come off less dour than agitated, and even on its slower tracks, Beauty Already Beautiful has a lot of current running through it. [No. 131, p.61]

As a fan-pitched compilation of b-sides and one-offs, it's a winner. [Summer 2008, p.100]

Sure, Pocket Radio is quirky... but that's what pop is about in the 21st century. [#50, p.94]

There's nothing here that radically reinvents the delicate beauty of Drake's timeless compositions. [No. 98, p.61]

An uneven record, though one that may ultimately prove a warm-up for a more interesting one. [No. 111, p.61]

Even on the weaker songs, when the chord changes come secondhand and the influences arrive undigested, Wrecking Ball remains an ugly slab of guitar sludge that’s well worth the pain.

Consider this follow-up one step back. [#69, p.98]

On Makers, Votolato rarely digs deep enough to scar, and he tends to wander where he thinks inspiration might live instead of letting it find him. [#70, p.110]

[Town and Country] have the compositional savvy and play with the precision to make such passages hypnotic rather than pretentious. [#54, p.110]

Dracula gurgles with slower, more experimental moments at times, but the brief drags are balanced out by funky hip-swingers and modern nuggets. [#82, p.59]

Krug's mushy, mixed-down vocals and the lack of dynamic range often sucks all the life out of the music. [No. 132, p.57]

It's an established formula: Regression to the mean is inevitable. That said, there are plenty of familiar pleasures for those who investigate. [No. 131, p.56]

There's a lingering, forced feel and more than a few questionable stylistic decisions. [No. 128, p.55]

Musically, all the touchstones that made "Passover" so riveting are in place. [Summer 2008, p.96]