It all conjures visions of student unrest, mud-strewn festivals and the pink island label, and the chutzpah and belief at work make it pretty much irresistible. [Apr 2026, p.89]

A shoegazing-inclined Zombies sums it up. [May 2022, p.92]

The DIY disco maverick channels vintage R&B and thrilling dancefloor pop of an '80s Madonna/Janet/TLC stripe, in a voice that's crystal cool in up and downtempo settings. [Feb 2017, p.99]

Here, Saunders marks out her own terrain, seeing how far she can go forward, and how far back. [Apr 2018, p.91]

Branch's inspired improvisations, bold melodic leaps and bluesy burr of a voice buoy over Nazary's inventive, depth-charged beats. [Jul 2022, p.91]

The album's no fence-sitter, it hits hard almost for the duration. [Feb 2015, p.90]

A heady, volatile brew that, in these emboldened settings, have the makings of anthems. [Jun 2017, p.92]

Much looser and more interpretative than its predecessor. [Jan 2008, p.111]

Wintery Brit-folk closer New Year Of Grace is also special, a full-circle update on the steadfast, if weatherbeaten, live affair which the Opening track Gradually visits earlier in ts slow-burning voyage. [May 2016, p.89]

Highlights include the cool Old Men, beer-soaked Dance With Your Spurs On and 90 Seconds Of Your Time, a dark, true-life tale that sounds both intense and insouciant. [Sep 2020, p.87]

The Raconteurs offers a much more straightforward and enjoyable 42 minutes [than Boarding House Reach]. [Jul 2019, p.84]

Subtly psychedelic, intuitively clever and constantly challenging, Everyday Robots underlines that Albarn is an artist of originality and depth, a master of the haunting, insidious melody and--perhaps this needs no reiteration--a gifted, inventive musician. [May 2014, p.84]

This time there's noticeably less fuzz and extraneous squall piled on top. [Feb 2004, p.92]

An epic ride. [Oct 2020, p.87]

Those who've found White Denim's previous albums a little too cluttered and clattery for comfort should find that D is a good deal more accessible, yet it also ends up being their most thrillingly off-kilter record to date. [July 2011, p. 112]

A remarkable comeback. [Jun 2004, p.106]

Not a single ounce of fat on the bone, Return is a road trip well worth taking. [Jan 2021, p.88]

As eloquent an emotional discourse as [Gedge] has mustered. [Mar 2005, p.101]

Strange Mercy is the shimmering, expansive sound of an artist defiantly coming into her own. [Oct 2011, p.104]

This is beautiful music that appears to breathe independently of its creator. [Oct 2012, p.95]

It’s not all perfect. You could rightly question whether the Q-Tip/André 3000 duet Kids… has any place on a ATCQ album. Or whether a glut of guest spots including Elton John, Jack White and Kendrick Lamar are strictly necessary. Yet ultimately it’s the original, immersive Tribe vibes that conquer all.

There are some beautiful moments. [Apr 2006, p.94]

A progression in Blake's music, his melodies less elusive, his productions less ethereal. [Mar 2019, p.88]

Sensuous and calm, yet cut through with deep strumming guitar and a rolling lilt, it has a folk rock drift that's less ribald, less edgy than the theatrical spark of 2021's A Common Turn and in|FLUX (2023). [Mar 2025, p.90]

As well as less oft-aired selections from Stoogean days (I'm Sick Of You, a ferocious Death Trip), the Bowie era (Mass Production) and later solo outings (The Endless Sea, off '79's New Values), there's a trumpet-led singalong for The Passenger, and Loose rendered with a near-big band swing - weird but actually rather wonderful. [Feb 2025, p.85]

The lyrics tackle domestic violence, female genital mutilation, forced marriage and proceeds go to charity--but if all you care about is the sound it's still terrific. [Apr 2017, p.98]

Antidotes feels like riding a tea-tray down an icy mountainside. [Apr 2008, p.106]

The Decemberists' seventh is unlikely to weaken their commercial pull. [Feb 2015, p.91]