These gentle, melodic, acoustic guitar-driven songs are outweighed by electronica of the retro-modern variety. [Nov 2005, p.110]

It's just a shame his parochial worldview is often at odds with his music's overreaching grandstanding. [Mar 2013, p.94]

Another sprawling, somewhat overwrought Ashcroft solo record. [Jun 2016, p.88]

The results career from interesting to neglibile. [Aug 2003, p.95]

At the risk of sounding trite, I couldn't wait to Turn It Off. [Oct 2009, p.97]

Her voice is a capable blend of vibrato and latterday R&B melisma, but also suggests a diffusion-range Amy Winehouse - something exacerbated as processed show-tune verses often leap into artless pop choruses. [Dec 2009, p. 96]

Still winging it, still wearing it well. [Dec 2010, p.99]

Where the remainder deviates, though, is in its lyricism, a good thing, because the beer-boys-in-the-band stance is replaced by only-to-be-encouraged attempts at social comment and a more enlightened approach to gender politics. [May 2011, p.110]

Man On the Rocks is better when he dials down the mawkish choruses and over-emoting vocals. [Apr 2014, p.97]

This bloody enormous rock demeanour means Stone Roses fans may not be amused. [Oct 2002, p.96]

The Vines are mostly surface and scratch, a vessel of strangely useless beauty. [Apr 2004, p.114]

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

Ultimately, The Runaway suffers from an excess of emotional drizzle and not enough musical firestorms. [Jul 2010, p.102]

Their songs aren't as good as their playing. [Apr 2003, p.98]

If Kate Bush backed by MGMT appeals, Maguire's your woman. [Apr 2011, p.105]

Unsurprisingly, Necessary Evil falls short of her prime's pop perfection, yet it provides a fair compendium of her career. [Oct 2007, p.90]

These bedroom demo-sounding efforts are primitive. {Jun 2012, p.85]

Maryland pop-punks are shamelessly commercial and ruthlessly effective. [Dec. 2010, p. 96]

Brassbound is a far better played, better written and lyrically grown-up record than its brash, Brit-pop-punk predecessor. [Jul 2005, p.102]

While beats like 'Shine All Day's' electronic bounce feel odd at first, they gradually begin to make sense, while KRS-One's 'What If?' and the Supernatural-helmed 'Tribute To The Breakdancer' will keep the most ardent old-schoooler happy. [Apr 2009, p.108]

Lange hasn't changed Nickelback wholesale: mostly, they still rock like a post-grunge Metallica. [Jan 2008, p.104]

[A] queasy mix of super-sharp realism, clammy surrealism and elegant melody. [Feb 2005, p.98]

Should please any Stone Roses fan. [Mar 2004, p.108]

As ever with Borrell, it's never less than weirdly, grippingly fascinating. [Sep 2013, p.90]

Given the right mood and lighting, it is almost magical; in stark sunshine, less so. [Jun 2011, p.100]

[Korn] sound both out of focus and curiously out of date. [Feb 2004, p.95]

There's no high concept, just 12 pop songs that sound as if the pair decided to down tools the moment working ion them felt like work. [May 2018, p.90]

More mopey ballads and ad-ready pop songs. [Dec 2013, p.92]