Unsurprisingly for a 2D project, it's all a little flat. [Dec 2007, p.121]

Coming of age delayed for guile-free pop star. [May 2010, p. 95]

File under 'brilliantly out-there.' [Oct 2008, p.110]

While a smidgen of originality wouldn't go amiss, there's plenty to compensate for it in the way of exuberance and humour. [Feb 2019, p.88]

Johnson considers the world's woes with gentle reflection rather than recrimnation, along the way hoping to illuminate his son's path to finding his own truth. [July 2010]

What makes everything tick is Berman's plausibly gooey hooks, matched by guitars sparkling like diamante--just the ticket for shiny, happy people. [Jul 2014, p.95]

The group's fourth album confirms that their default setting is a bit four-square nuts-and-bolts punk pop. [Jun 2012, p.92]

A lesser work compared to, say, 2008's Nude With Boots, Tres Cabrones nevertheless stomps with enough sulphurous, slothful might to satisfy the faithful. [Jan 2014, p.102]

[CD1's] uproar casts most of CD2's over-delicate maunderings in a wan light. [Apr 2006, p.102]

The idea remains more brilliant than the performance can hope to be; because Wainwright is very good but Judy ia unassailable. [Feb 2008, p.98]

Here's a concept Tori: less is more. [Jun 2007, p.108]

Truly cinematic and imbued with humour and pathos, popcorn not included. [Apr 2013, p.94]

This, one, in its place [Pixies reunion], is fresh and really rather fab. [Mar 2009, p.106]

This is a triumph of achingly beautiful pop protest music. [Jun 2017, p.94]

The Menace is a far more varied and ambitious LP than the first and, one suspects, than the Elastica album we'd have got four or three years ago. A very pleasant surprise.

Easy listening with just enough unease to tease. [Nov 2003, p.125]

We could probably live without at least one of the three lengthy, slightly prosaic tracks that tail-end proceedings, but stand-outs Cup Of Coffee and Androgyny more than compensate. [Nov 2001, p.116]

As ever, this is a very knowing and authentic nod to retro chic, but one which occasionally crosses the line between infectious and neve-jangling pop, with just a little more style than content. [Jan 2001, p.94]

It's their talent for great hooks, that gets you in the end. [Aug 2009, p.99]

Beautiful, minimal and bewitching, it is both another reason to hate Peter Broderick and another reason to admire him. [Aug 2009, p.102]

It captures their two sides--songs are either rousing with crashing guitars, swirling atmospheres and arresting climaxes or empyrean, indie introspective ballads. [May 2013, p.88]

It's darker and starker, more 4am despair than midnight rendezvous. [Feb 2014, p.97]

One of the most surprising ambient albums of the year. [Aug 2015, p.95]

The ragtime version of Wild World is perhaps a re-imagining too far. ... Father And Son remains monumental and intensely moving, however. [Oct 2020, p.93]

The somnambulant nihilism of his one-trick flow and the risible machismo of choruses quickly wear out SpaceGhostPurrp's welcome. [Aug 2012, p.87]

This brisk, well-crafted follow-up maintains the feeling if a pop band masquerading as something harder. [Mar 2012, p.102]

Total Depravity strives to add something new to the mix but Andrews' habitual preoccupations keep The Veils from moving forward. [Sep 2016, p.96]

An ass-shaking blend of disco, house, '80s pop with apparent self-awareness. [Oct 2019, p.92]