If the crackle of original Dylan electrifies Marshall's voice, she finds her own phrasing, both robust and reverent, as she ringmasters Ballad Of A Thin Man's mystic forces, or brings a limpid empathy to Like A Rolling Stone. [Dec 2023, p.92]

From One Day's po-sweet surprise to DsharpG's shivery vocal/harmonium drones, each gear shift is proof of a compelling new voice. [Dec 2010, p.100]

If David Lynch were looking to soundtrack dreamlike disassociation, he need look no further. [Jun 2016, p.91]

It's a raucous portrait of a well-drilled band on fire. [Jul 2017, p.87]

His violin-led handiwork dazzles and swoons more than ever. [Aug 2019, p.96]

A beautifully honed vision of an often-harsh landscape. [Aug 2018, p.89]

The lovely Jaakko Eino Kalevi, the most coherent album so far from the former Helsinki tram driver, is a gem.

Fun House moves Duffy ever closer to the revelatory heart of the matter. [Nov 2021, p.92]

Aching, poetically quotidian observations permeate Universal Themes. [Aug 2015, p.89]

Hawk's stentorian baritone croon is almost irony free and his freewheeling songs blossom because of it. [Mar 2023, p.93]

Enough memorable moments to make this the first Catholics album worthy of your love and attention. [Sep 2003, p.113]

The grain and gravitas of Jones's voice is perfectly suited to this diverse material. [Jun 2012, p.82]

While the playful spirit and precise progressions of his previous albums linger, it's demonstrably darker entries that capture Gonzales's disarming craftsmanship best. [Oct 2018, p.91]

Her songwriting pen has never been sharper. [Jan 2026, p.83]

High Flyin' is a highlight of the bootleg series so far. [Jun 2023, p.105]

The beauty of Jump On It also lies in how it evolves Orcutt's music rather than compromises it. Start here and work backwards. [Jun 2023, p.89]

[A] deft combination of emotional intimacy and musical ambition. [Oct 2005, p.108]

He's embraced a lush, harmony-drenched sound akin to late-period Fleetwood Mac or even the outer reaches of yacht rock. Yet, it's underpinned by biting, literate lyrics and mostly crestfallen characters. [Apr 2022, p.83]

Portrait gives us what the composer feels are the definitive versions of these tracks. It's also an excellent introduction to this most singular of musicians. [Jan 2020, p.88]

Positivity lights up the British Nigerian's debut. [Apr 2026, p.94]

Blood Karaoke ought to be an incoherent mess. Instead, it's a sometimes beautiful, sometimes brutal sound collage, with unexpected twists and turns every few seconds. [Jun 2022, p.84]

Adept at expressing keenly observed details in a Beat vernacular, he makes excellent use of a 14-piece string section and more drum machines than are typical for him. [Jul 2022, p.89]

Its four long, richly-textured instrumentals thrum with existential reverence. [Aug 2022, p.89]

There's a layer of gloss and artfulness here that makes Carry On more appealing than whiskery ideas of authenticity. [Jan 2013, p.88]

Threat levels peak on Sewer Blues' ominous, John Carpenter reverberation. [May 2017, p.98]

They've added anger to their traditional wall of ferocious sleekness built on sizzling guitars and unyielding electronica. [Jul 2021, p.80]

For a man with a suspect hipster mustache and a vast lick of asymmetrical hair, Lewis' music has serious depth. [Dec 2010, p.106]

Head Down sounds highly-charged and fresh. [Dec 2012, p.84]