This is very much Goodwin's record, the work of a man revelling in his own company. [May 2014, p.88]

Preposterous, but this time knowingly so. [May 2008, p.114]

Unreservedly recommended, but for the uninitiated and obsessives only. [Nov 2013, p.86]

Less conceptually pure than its predecessor in terms of tone and motivation it may be, but Evil Heat's bespoke tailoring pays dividends time and time again. [Aug 2002, p.94]

As with all Stephin Merritt productions, the real stars are Stephin Merritt's wonderful songs, and the 14 love songs on Hyacinths And Thistles are as sweet and prickly as the title suggests.

Not as immediate as the previous two albums, this one takes time before its effortless flow, interweaving harmonies and low-key chords really sink in. [Aug 2004, p.102]

Big issues... are chewed over with bittersweet humour and musical sophistication. [Nov 2004, p.110]

It's not an easy album to love. [Apr 2017, p.98]

Out of retirement -- and on to the hard shoulder. [June 2011, p. 93]

Given time, fans will warm to Peasant, but ultimately the inconsistency of it's songwriting is a tad disappointing.

The combination of piano and the string ensemble Scoring Berlin has some overlap with sonic contemplations of Max Richter and Arvo Part. But Eno has a distinctive style and picks just the right chord change or string colouration. [May 2022, p.88]

A stopgap while The Gossip work on new material, this album is nonetheless worth the price of a hand-stamp. [May 2008, p.102]

Hands sees the 24-year-old blossom into a throughly modern chart contender, but at the expense of some of that quirkiness. [Jul 2009, p.95]

She sings of global suffering, emotional loss and female power in a way that's occasionally overwrought--but always packs a punch. [Oct 2007, p.92]

Walk The River is far more direct and carries a mood of singer-songwriter writ (very) large. [May 2011, p.105]

If your perfect musical Venn diagram contains Oneohtrix Point Never, Machinedrum and Terry Riley, Suicideyear will satisfy your equation. [Oct 2014, p.93]

The "sonically exploratory" nature of Hurley occasionally serves Weezer's boredom threshold better than it does the songs. [Nov 2010, p.103]

Flute and horn fight for breath alongside swampy vocals, and a heavy-handed rock bombast doesn't hide a dearth of hooks or memorable pop melody. [Sep 2007, p.110]

A quirky, theatrical record that's full of pomp and self-importance, The Family Jewels is never less than exciting, but it does try a little too hate to be zany. [Mar 2010, p.100]

It's a shame Drastic Fantastic disappoints. [Oct 2007, p.92]

New material like See What Love Did To Me sits well alongside these [four songs from 1967's New Masters album]. [Oct 2017, p.91]

Gently atmospheric rather than a disrupter of mood. [Jan 2019, p.86]

The Blue Ridge Rangers Rides Again - the sequel to his 1973 solo debut - repeats the formula, its 12 covers of country standards and downhome favourites creating a warm, hearthside companion to its predecessor. [Dec 2009, p. 91]

Rebel Heart is the first Madonna album for a while that's at least as much for listeners as it is for dancers. Sometimes this shines too hard a light on what she has to say. [Apr 2015, p.88]

For the most part still playing it breakneck and fuzz-covered, their trademark garage-scuzz-meets-hardcore blitzkreig is if anything more rough-riffed and faster. [Mar 2005, p.101]

What's disappointing is how evenly-tempoed and sedate the pace is. [Jun 2005, p.95]

With four tracks topping 12 miutes, it's essentially a celebration of pre-punk boffin-rock, 'The Best Of Times 'and 'The Count Of Tuscany' both prog-metal masterpieces worthy of imperial-phase Rush. [Jul 2009,p.95]

The resulting album is an impressive country-soul-meets pop hybrid, with Pritchard's powerful honey-toned vocals framed by some deft and sometimes dramatic production touches from White. [Nov 2010, p.108]