Bluefinger marks an artistic rebirth for the king of quiet/loud. [Sep 2007, p.110]

It's a fine entry point into Faust's lineage. [May 2009, p.104]

LaVette says thank you to the British Invasion for bringing soul back home. [July 2010, p. 103]

She was born on Christmas Day, but has an unsentimental take on the holiday. [Jan. 2011, p. 94]

Better Strangers' intense mechanoid rhythms and unfamiliar time signatures can make for uncomfortable listening, but snatches of melody are never far away. [Jan 2016, p.94]

Despite the presence of a few additional collaborators, much in Half Japanese-world is as anticipated. [Feb 2017, p.94]

Meditative Time (You Got Me) sets the pace: a gently rambling rumination twinkling with congas, shakers and bird-like flutes. [Oct 2019, p.92]

U-Bahn's debut satisfies as a hugely enjoyable listen. [Jan 2020, p.87]

Highlights: Tropicalia-Afro-funk fusion Bobbie's Second World; 7th Dynamic Goo's silvery disco. [Apr 2020, p.96]

When Goddard himself provides vocals – notably on Follow You and On My Mind – it adds necessary cohesion. [Aug 2024, p.83]

Fruitful collaborations... invite the listener to keep that dial locked, despite the odd distracting lapse into free-form digital static. [Jul 2005, p.112]

This time Baird's own compositions dominate. [Nov 2011, p.100]

By turns acoustic intimate and theatrical-loud, this spellbinding work peaks and soars with all the warmth and wonder of some great romantic adventure, demanding and rewarding total immersion in its magical narrative. [May 2009, p.110]

CLPPNG is the work of hip hop auteurs delivering the shock of the new. [Jul 2014, p.88]

It's more varied and interesting: angular, Cure-guitar shapes, echoing shapes. [Oct 2018, p.94]

The wrong kind of sonic adventure undermines about half the songs. A drop of Waitsian, drunken, junkyard percussion might have been just the ticket, but the plethora of drony guitar and keyboard distortions proves distracting, rather than "atmospheric", and impairs the effect of some strong songs including Back To Manhattan and Stuck. [Dec 2009, p. 88]

Inside The Ships is one of their most entertaining yet confounding albums. [Oct 2011, p.101]

An album drenched in familiar swathes of charm, pathos, elegance and black humour. [Dec 2015, p.90]

A giddy, unpredictable pop record that put new spins on every cliche it touches, while Benson;s innately McCartneyesque melodic gift successfully sells every occasionally saccharine lyric. [Jun 2020, p.88]

Although the quality dips dramatically on Samir & Abboud's bland, overworked Games and Gharbi Sadock & George Garzia's sickly slap-bass odyssey Lala Tibiki, both prove rare exceptions. [Jan 2018, p.102]

Instead of a bona fide entry in either band's catalogue, chalk this up as a Dungen sidebar. [Apr 2018, p.89]

[Obits] sound ever more like a desiccated AC/DC. [Oct 2013, p.98]

Finger-pointing music has rarely been as much fun. [Nov 2008, p.116]

Ear Drum confirms Kweli's position as an icon. [Oct 2007, p.106]

For all the band's rich resonance, she shines brightest when [producer Colin] Cripps holds the kilowatts. [May 2005, p.98]

Buoyed with emotional heft and supernova guitar riffs, their second album is wired around a maturing songcraft and the studio savvy of grunge producer Butch Vig. [Aug 2008, p.112]

Tell Me is a pure and earnest amble through heartbreak, Bluegrass-tinged, with Seldom nods to anything approaching modern. [Apr 2011, p.106]

Devotees of J Dilla and Flying Lotus in particular should investigate. [Apr 2013, p.95]