Protector feels rooted in the psychedelic quicksand that surrounded 2020 debut, and Of No Junction. It's no less enchanting though. [Dec 2022, p.92]

Ezra Collective's confidence hits a fizzing high on this freewheeling 14-track double. [Dec 2022, p.87]

Palomino is a wholly convincing bid for wider recognition. [Dec 2022, p.84]

This second is more sophisticated [than 2018 debut Sistahs]; distorted guitars still feedback and synths jar, but there is also mellotron, violin and Omnichord bringing subtlety and depth. [Dec 2022, p.91]

Thrilling collective racket. [Dec 2022, p.90]

[Luke Haines] has never been backed like this before. ... It's as if The WreckingCrew wound up on a Skip Spence album. [Nov 2022, p.91]

F&M hit peak funkiness on this fat-free blend of Krautrock pulses and pop melodies. [Nov 2022, p.94]

It retains the singer's inherent quirks while offering a more accessible sound. [Dec 2022, p.87]

Revolver presents an accomplished, almost impenetrable sheen - which makes the archaeology provided by the outtakes and different mixes all the more involving. ... You can hear the pace of their lives and their ideas in this perfect encapsulation of The Beatles at their peak. [Dec 2022, p.96]

Their third LP is mostly comprised of ground-quaking punk-dance anthems, they're also politically charged, shot through with ribald wit, simmering anger and references to philosopher Frantz Fanon. [Dec 2022, p.93]

Its peaks evoke Jack White's maximalist blues fusion. [Nov 2022, p.94]

A sonic adventure best enjoyed with very good headphones. [Dec 2022, p.85]

Up-tempo and poppy, Simple Minds' energy remains undiminished on Direction Of The Heart. [Nov 2022, p.90]

A potpourri of country, rock, bluegrass and folk, the constant being top-shelf picking and soaring harmonies. [Nov 2022, p.93]

Isn't shy about where it's coming from, and it is assured. But ... It lacks their previous warmth. [Nov 2022, p.93]

Their albums from this period were a little low on magic, but this is the real deal, an organic sound full of strange, shadowy moods and adventurous and melodic playing. [Nov 2022, p.104]

Full of perfect pop, its 10 songs are giddy bursts of optimism and wonderment. [Nov 2022, p.86]

It's bracing, intense stuff, though the bleak wit that runs through Morris's proclamations and Dimitri Coats' brawny riffage ensures the earache is addictive. [Dec 2022, p.90]

Delirious, danceable songs with emotional heft. [Dec 2022, p.89]

This is a more soulful, less arch record than Tranquility Base. Not quite as detached from Monkeys past as it first appears, either. [Dec 2022, p.84]

All told, an uproarious upgrade on the garage bashfest. [Dec 2022, p.86]

With its major keys, funky breakbeats, scorching guitar solos and soothing flutes, here's one Gizzard Magnum opus not to miss in the deluge. [Dec 2022, p.92]

Any sense that the listener is being short-changed is blown away by the sheer quality of the writing and production on offer. [Dec 2022, p.84]

At first spiky and combative, gradually (and ultimately) it is hypnotic and calmative. [Dec 2022, p.89]

James's reputation as one of electronic music's most daring, inquisitive artists grows record by record. [Dec 2022, p.91]

Experimental, but far from intimidating. [Dec 2022, p.94]

Eclectic and even occasionally upbeat. ... His croon remains dizzyingly swoonsome. [Dec 2022, p.94]

There's often an old-world gravitas and a contemporary lightness of touch at play simultaneously, the tangible lineage of these story-rich, often long-form songs reaching deep within you. [Nov 2022, p.89]