The record's familarity is nourishing rather than revelatory. [Jun 2009, p.99]

Much of it is unreconstructedly rockist. [Jun 20009, p.102]

Over the course of a whole album their light-as-afeather mix of glacial keyboard, breathy vocals and mid-tempo time signatures begins to grate, and you wish producer Thom Monahan had made them take more risks. [Jun 2009, p.99]

His sometimes unkempt vocal performances can work better in the smaller doses of singles or cameos, but here, as on 2006's "The Big Bang," he sounds like he has made the album his metier. [Jul 2009, p.98]

The result is a brilliant modern singer-songwriter record, full of wit and musical variations. [May 2009, p.100]

Hard Islands is evolution. But some will hanker for Fake's fluffier vintage. [Jun 2009, p.102]

Armstrong's anti-establishment shtick has lost some of its impact. [Jun 2009, p.102]

The overall effect is more inline with how Townes made his early albums. [Jun 2009, p.96]

There are perky alt-pop nuggests aplenty here, so it's a shame the momentum can't be maintained. [Jun 2009, p.96]

Sewn Together is as winningly tuneful as it is raggedly charming. [Jul 2009, p.95]

Graham Coxon has left behind his early Jam-meets-Syd-meets-Billy Childish thrashings and his more petulant little-boy-lost vocals, and recorded an album seemingly inspired by Paul Weller's "22 Dreams." [Jun 2009, p.98]

Fabulous. [Jun 2009, p.98]

Its successor emanates a similarly yeasty authenticity, stretching songs into epic ballads, its acoustic guitars, bass and drums ornamented by a lattice of deftly plucked and strummed things. [May 2009, p.105]

Decamping to Mexico with a gang of musician friends and collaborating in songwriting as well as performance has made for Conor Oberst's most colourful, upbeat record so far. [Jun 2009, p.100]

The end result just about captures the riotous, magical bustle of their live shows, so seek it out. [Jun 2009, p.101]

The acoustic neo-folk ditties that made his name are deployed in the form of 'Faithfully Remain' and 'Skin Thin,' but the heavy side of Harper makes for a welcome detour. [Jun 2009, p.102]

Their second with this new line up comes up trumps again. [Jun 2009, p.104]

The Horrors are operating at a way more advanced level, dragging rock, feedback-drenched, electronic and electrifying, into a new decade. [Jun 2009, p.101]

This, then, is A-grade rock'n'roll--profound, damaged, brimming with wondrous dreams. [Jun 2009, p.104]

Roadsinger really does pick up where Cat Stevens left off back in the late '70s. [Jun 2009, p.103]

An antidote to pop bands masquerading as punk, this is the real deal--ugly, and utterly English. [Jun 2009, p.98]

Balf Quarry sees the duo swaggering through louche wah-wahed blues, no-wave barn burners and salty pop ditties, culminating in an eerily beautiful, piano-haunted fever dream. [May 2009, p.109]

Colonia has nothing like its predecessor's consistency of tone, but Persson strikes gold with two siren calls worthy of the last, desperate, doom-laden Abba albums. [Mar 2009, p.109]

Together Through Life is an album that gets its hooks in early and refuses to let go. [Jun 2009, p.94]

Whatever they're called, Sabbath still rule. [Jun 2009, p.99]

Gardot's torch ballads smoulder intensely. [Apr 2009, p.103]

It's hard not to be seduced by the pure enthusiasm the duo have for wailing feedback, white light/white heat and archaic teen rebellion. [Aug 2009, p.103]

This covers set is a fine entry-point. [Jul 2009, p.97]