Seems largely unable to go far beyond generic musical stylings and rather lifeless, matt[e]-finish reportage. [Nov 2005, p.97]

Discs two and three mostly consist of unedited or alternate takes of material on the main disc. A full-length Transylvania Boogie, previously released in edited form, turns out to have been mostly a long, meandering shuffle with a drum solo. Hitherto undocumented titles Halos And Arrows and Moldred turn out to be, respectively, an exploratory guitar overdub piece (all that’s missing is Joni Mitchell at the mike) and a brief Tommy/Vincent composite with added bass. [Aug 2023, p.90]

A soothing balm in anxious times. [Nov 2014, p.93]

It all slides down nicely--great bachelorette party music that sounds good on headphones. [Sep 2010, p.104]

Part II sprawls across paranoid Massive Attack-style locked grooves (Nothing To Give), ethereal folk-prog (Sun), gushing, orchestral breakbeat (Only You) and narco rock/electronica hybrid (Crucifixion/A Prophet). [May 2019, p.87]

Alongside The Miracle 3's rich, roughneck guitar grind, Wynn's odd perspective gathers strength on two songs that involve gatecrashing private homes or events. [Feb 2011, p.107]

German electro poppers making a play for the festival crowds. [July 2011, p. 102]

Clever, unflinching, experimental and catchy. [Oct 2017, p.98]

Folk roots meet soundtrack clips and contemporary perspective. [Aug 2013, p.98]

This will thrill those who believe Pavement's best album was their first. [Jul 2014, p.86]

Love Is Magic is Grant entertainingly magnified, but the emotional returns comes slightly diminished. [Nov 2018, p.93]

The glossy, high-shine finish songs come with an air of post-club languor. [Dec 2012, p.96]

This new box set offers a ton of unreleased tracks (47 in total). Ranging from the ropey – Schoolyard sees him at the age of 32 singing about losing his virginity at 16 to, erk, a 14-year-old girl; Horny Pony features a toe-curling rap – to the bafflingly binned, they nonetheless provide real insight into Prince’s creative mind. Highlights include ghetto chronicle The Voice, jazz instrumental tribute Letter 4 Miles (recorded two days after his friend Davis’s death) and, best of all, the gently trippy Alice Through The Looking Glass. [Dec 2023, p.105]

The trio blow out the cobwebs with their relentless blasts of heavy metal sax/bass/drums power. [Feb 2014, p.98]

She's better shifting gears beyond her stylistic bounds. [May 2019, p.89]

Good use of pot-banging percussion and swanee whistle electronics. [Mar 2019, p.99]

The 13 eco-friendly songs from across his career are augmented to varying degrees by nature sounds: rain, thunder, frogs, horses, ducks, crickets, chickens and several critters I can't identify. Sometimes intrusive but they're often atmospheric. [Aug 2016, p.90]

The record is starting to sound worn. [May 2011, p.105]

Never quite hits that million-streaming sweet spot. [Sep 2018, p.86]

Thoughtful, tuneful, exquisitely melancholy, ever slightly off centre-- [Silencio] is, indeed, a welcome haven. [Sep 2012, p.86]

An imposing, sometimes melodramatic affair. [Mar 2006, p.94]

For all its ambitious and admirable wilfulness, the sound of Casablancas playing in his sandpit is still an acquired taste. [Nov 2014, p.94]

A backstory so real you'll swear you've seen the flick. [Dec 2012, p.96]

The best of these songs are easily a match for Broken Social Scene. [Nov 2007, p.106]

Thankfully, frequent shards of light lift the gloom and raise the spirits. [Mar 2014, p.95]

The acoustic neo-folk ditties that made his name are deployed in the form of 'Faithfully Remain' and 'Skin Thin,' but the heavy side of Harper makes for a welcome detour. [Jun 2009, p.102]

While there's an invigorating charm to Blue Songs, you're left concluding that it lacks its predecessor's USP. [Feb 2011, p.108]

Just when it seems it's an invitation to drift away, Kazuashita sags the attention, demands vigilance; a record of the world, rather than out of it. [Jul 2018, p.95]