Lucky for Conditions of My Parole, Puscifer has graduated from embarrassingly stupid to simply boring. [#81, p. 59]

The LP's slow-building peak moment is "Violins And Tambourines," which is also dramatic and affected, no matter what Jones may actually be singing about. [No. 101, p.60]

About 45 seconds into song after song, the chorus punches in loudly--predictably and, ultimately, annoyingly. [No. 135, p.57]

Like a handful of Flinstones Chewables, Velocity is sugary, prehistoric and well-intentioned, but Apples don't make a meal. [#56, p.78]

A pleasant surprise. [No. 136, p.56]

Michael "Fitz" Fitzpatrick still knows his way around a catchy hook, though, and there are more than a few memorable ones here. [No. 98, p.55]

There are but three words to describe the sixth album from [Nightmares On Wax]... "repetition"... "derivative"... "listless."[#71, p.108]

You can't take your ears off it. [#48, p.86]

The results are gorgeous, but frustratingly circumspect: twitchy, mournful, would-be futuristic dark pop that's almost comforting in its claustrophobia. [No.99, p.55]

The lyrics are often stupid as hell. ... What's novel about Pacific Daydream is that its giant, overcompressed choruses really do burrow their way into your skull. [No. 148, p.51]

The Dandys haven’t sounded this simultaneously energized and devil-may-care since the Duran Duran-polished synthpop of 2003’s Welcome To The Monkey House. [No. 131, p.52]

All Around Us is moody, pretty and spooky-cool. [No. 123, p.59]

The combination here of light electronic production, show-stopping African vocals, Mumford harmonies and heart-on-your-sleeve pop is hard not to love. [No. 133, p.59]

Most of Traps keeps the toes a-tapping with happily-sung, sad-bastard references to bygone lovers, running out of weed and coming of quarter-age. [No.88 p.57]

Matt Pond PA shows it can rock out tastefully. [Fall 2007, p.102]

One of the most powerful and overtly political albums he's ever made. [No. 150, p.55]

Takes The Strangest Things' dark, occasionally scattershot pop and refines it with sharper songwriting and a slicker approach. [#69, p.100]

Any party mix could benefit from the crisp beats, blasts and riffs here, and just because Stereo Total's music is jubilant doesn't mean it's vapid. [#67, p.111]

If you're a fan of heavy psychedelic bands, but wish they'd spend less time writing songs and more time blazing on the fretboard, this is your record. [No 88 p.56]

The Speed Of Things has no teeth.... But the choruses are strong and the melodies catchy enough. [No. 103, p.54]

So well-versed are Jacuzzi Boys in hooky guitar pop that their boisterous personalities occasionally get lost in the mix. [No. 137, p.55]

Good-natured, utterly accessible dance pop with meta-awareness of its own shallowness and disposability. [No.92 p.58]

Last Of Our Kind has heavy and abrasive moments that are heavier and more abrasive than anything in The darkness discography. [No. 121, p.53]

Detour is a great showcase for Lauper's vocal range and prowess, but the freak factor is dishearteningly low. [No. 131, p.59]

Unfortunately, [Markus] Popp has recently become more fascinated with theory than result.... This is what causes the downfall of Ovalprocess as a work of pure music.... a disappointing misstep. [#47, p.112]

The Olms offers ample reassurance that Yorn is one hell of a craftsman, even when he's striving for a less-is-more-aesthetic--though the jury's still out on whether he's an artist best left to his own devices. [No. 100, p.54]

One-third of VII has the quintet living up to the folk/country billing with upbeat, chaw-spittin', porch-sittin' classics-in-waiting and depressive ballads presented in Eric Earley's stark, storytelling style. The other two-thirds have skittering keyboards and soulful backing vocals. [No. 103, p.52]

Glow & Behold feels like a safe play. [No. 104, p.60]