Despite the lulls, the resistance to ending songs, Reflektor lets Arcade Fire shed expectations along with a skin, an act of rejuvenation few at their level manage with conviction. [Nov 2013, p.82]

A slushfest it isn't....Melodically sussed, wryly observed post-60s pop nuggets are humorous, trenchant and reflective. [Nov 2008, p.104]

[A] gem-filled recording. [Aug 2008, p.111]

With its profusion of delicate acoustic guitar arpeggios and fine string arrangements by Beck's father David Campbell, much of the rest of IRM steers a more organic, at times almost skiffle-like path, but the twist is Gallic melancholy. [Feb 2010, p. 93]

C'mon suggests their state of grace deserves a wider congregation. [May 2011, p.108]

For all its survivalist blues and everyman politicking, Mourning really connects when the Ali gets up close and personal. [Oct 2012, p.89]

The results are generally spectacular. [Jul 2014, p.93]

Distractions is one addictive rush of spiky DIY energy. [Aug 2015, p.96]

Ought's sound is stamped with enough original invention for them to stand tall amongst the art-schooled crowd. [Nov 2015, p.90]

The result is a most ambitious, rewarding and soulful debut. [Nov 2016, p.86]

The amount of recording distortion on some pieces, like on the sparse, meandering piano instrumental Last Of The Lantern Oil, can tip the balance over into ear-buzzing discomfort. [Apr 2020, p.87]

As much as his guests shine amid his contemplative synth odysseys, it's the solo Njoku, stripped and vulnerable on Weapon that cut closest to the bone. [Aug 2025, p.84]

Crooked Fingers' downcast Americana hues always felt like Bachmann's most commercially potent mode, a point Swet Deth proves time and again. [Apr 2026, p.91]

Playfully eccentric, it pushes the boundaries of the psych-pop revival in a way that's thankfully more redolent of MGMT's Congratulations than Ariel Pink's more self-conscious "mature" themes. [Mar 2013, p.88]

By putting some warm flesh on her musical bones, Chan Marshall is punching her considerable songwriting weight. [Jan 2006, p.116]

Get To Heaven feels both like a band at the peak of their powers and self-consciously dialing everything up to 11 before things go up in flames. [Jul 2015, p.90]

Amadou & Mariam have created a thought-provoking time capsule for future historians; a genuine masterpiece documenting the Malian unrest that is poignant, passionate, and directed equally at the head, feet and heart. [Nov 2017, p.101]

On paper, it looks so wide-ranging as to be in danger of coming out gloopy and overdone; as it turns out, Rhys glues everything together with a crisp sense of confidence. [Feb 2007, p.98]

There are few moments where Director's Cut offers anything close to a bold deconstruction. [Jun 2011, p.95]

It's a brave and brilliant refocusing of her energies, virtually a rebirth. [Oct 2007, p.91]

The songs on Mr. M might be mostly slow and beautiful but they don't have the drifting dreaminess. [Mar 2012, p.96]

Encouraged by the hazy presence of co-producer Jim James, few traces remain of his previous wood-chopping ruggedness, the singer holing up with a saucerful of secrets for Homecoming, or raising inertia to an art-form on Another Day’s time-lapse blur.

Remaining loyal to Laurel Canyon and the NY underground, the collision of '60s classicism and noise is joyous. [Oct 2017, p.94]

There's real beauty here and Silberman marries eventual accessibility with gentle boundary-pushing to create his own, thoughtful world. [May 2021, p.84]

Sim's painful journey also feels like catharsis, and packs a vivid statement of musical intent. [Oct 2022, p.87]

It's a gloom that suits them both. [Apr 2008, p.112]

From the lurking threat of 'Street Walkin'' to the pretty sadness of closer 'Goin' Home,' this is outsider's music. Therein lie its real strength. [Mar 2009, p.110]

Hardcore Julius fans might recognise old tunes but the London-based musicians have given them all a fresh coat while the boss blows up a storm. [Nov 2014, p.94]