The opening tunes are strong, but in the later half mannered singing and pretentiousness bring back memories of the Thompson Twins. [Mar 2009, p.110]

A Splash Of Colour remains more grab-bag than coherent statement. [Jun 2016, p.104]

Here, solid collaborative vibes in the wake of all that life trauma make for rousing, edge-of-collapse rock action. [Aug 2017, p.89]

Despite one-time Rudimental leader Amir Amor's rather flat production and the dearth of all-out tub-thumpers beyond the wry The Lads, they've transformed themselves inti a differently beguiling proposition. [Mar 2024, p.88]

There are some hammy moments on Americana Act II, but Davies' status as one of pop's great storytellers endures. [Aug 2018, p.92]

Their polemic backed-up by their abundant charms, not least the plentiful guitar heroics of frontman Rick Rizzo, evoking both the lyricism of Neil Young and the artful amp abuse of Sonic Youth in their thrilling scree. [Jun 2011, p.106]

Established fans will find much to adore, but Finn and company need to be cannier about their long game. [June 2010, p. 98]

There is a certain sameness in evidence that makes the album more meditaional aid than rip-snorting prescription for maximum engagement. [Jan 2012, p.90]

This is a sweet entry point. [Oct 2019, p.92]

A sameness about these developments diminishes the album's appeal, but given a presence in the ether, airwaves, clouds and such, the Pierces' obsession could become addictive. [Jul 2011, p.114]

X&Y is awash with cliches, non-sequiturs, and cheap existentialism; at times it all becomes nigh on unbearable. [Jul 2005, p.97]

It's exactly what you'd expect, but in a good way. [Feb 2021, p.83]

Charmingly wobbly Edwyn Collins-produced debut. [Dec 2017, p.96]

Has a first-person directness and grunge-schooled contrasting of melody with clamour. [Feb 2021, p.90]

What this record lacks is a couple of the screamalong anthems at which Muse have become renowned. [Aug 2006, p.88]

Echo mostly plays safe, but signs of where Sparke can stands alone include Dog Bark Echo's red-desert heat, Everything Everything's jabbered vocal and dissonant piano, and a particularly devastated Bad Dreams. [Apr 2021, p.81]

Tropical Fuck Storm's wonky rock discordance is not quite as provocative as they perhaps think. Nevertheless, there's still plenty to be enjoyed here. [Feb 2019, p.90]

For all its skill you do miss Neville Staple's aggro, Roddy Radiation's punk-Chuck Berry guitars, and inevitably, Jerry Dammers' singular, maddening vision. [Mar 2019, p.88]

Flamingo is, for all intents and purpose, the next Killers record. [Oct. 2010, p. 106]

A compelling, if sometimes unsettling, time capsule. [Apr 2013, p.106]

His tried and trusted writing formula sometimes irritate--about being mistaken for Willie Nelson, about an amateur-sung cover version of Heaven that scored 16 million YouTube hits--are winningly self-effacing and chucklesome. [Dec 2010, p.96

Their penchant for bold riffs and big climaxes comes with little individual grandstanding. [Nov 2022, p.91]

Buxton's posthumous appearance on the raw, Eddie Cochran-esque What Happened To You also shines, but elsewhere things sometimes get formulaic, the horror cod and the guillotine a little blunt. [Aug 2025, p.77]

A more effective synergy arrives as the musicians rein in the melodrama, proffering a subtler, shimmering folk rock canvas for Chesnutt's emotional daubings. [Nov 2009, p.91]

There is quiet drama here--especially on the gothic crawl of Spiders or Home's extended inner-space walk--but sometimes The Soft Cavalry struggle to project it beyond their own moody boundaries, or to find that extra charge. [Aug 2019, p.92]

Big God runs up and down a subtler emotional scale, while the heartfelt Hunger emphasises Welch's admirable desire to connect. Yet High As Hope often feels like The Greatest Showman for people of drinking age, This Is Me for art students--an affirmation, not a challenge. [Aug 2018, p.88]

Holy Island nods to mid-period Flying Saucer Attack, Souvlaki-era Slowdive, maximum-shimmer Ride and motorik. Such influences are offset by an innate drama which inexorably draws inwards. There is, though, a potentially overwhelming backstory. [Jan 2026, p.91]

The album's second half-hour wilts, but the first is Temples Excelling as never before. [Jun 2023, p.92]