Throughout, Earthling toys with classic radio-rock clichés, only to cleanse them of jadedness via Vedder's trademark wholehearted investment, a trick which still charms. [Apr 2022, p.88]

Small World suffers from sonic conservatism: The Tame Impala-lite of I Lost My Mind is undercooked, while It's Good To Be Back's tracly synths are a touch self-parodic. [Apr 2022, p.88]

Sinewy. ... Lines brings a clear echo of mid-period Pink Floyd to the table. [Mar 2022, p83]

There's a lot of it, nearly five hours' worth, but you don't need to have a working knowledge of the inside of a Lambretta to enjoy the sharp-suited sounds here. [Mar 2022, p.98]

Life On Earth is a compassionate, humane record at a time when it can only be a gift. [Mar 2022, p.78]

Modern country-funk jams packed with slick guitar licks, springy basslines and endless hooks. [Mar 2022, p.90]

Donaldson keeps refining what is essentially one song. ... Fortunately, Donaldson's undeniable homage is exquisitely on the nose, one comforting swoon after another. [Mar 2022, p.86]

Lighten Up takes its sometimes melancholy frown, turns it upside down and delivers an infectious beam of musical sunshine. [Mar 2022, p.82]

The Philadelphia quartet's second has a deep warmth emanating from it. [Mar 2022, p.82]

It's Beach House's grandest vision yet. [Mar 2022, p.83]

Wonderfully immersive stuff. [Mar 2022, p.85]

The DLO3 serve up a decidedly old school-sounding platter whose feel-good vibe is infectious. [Mar 2022, p.86]

The sextet returning to their complex basics. ... They still struggle for hooks, though. [Mar 2022, p.83]

The most natural sounding album of his career. [Mar 2022, p.83]

[Tony] Rice would have loved it. [Feb 2022, p.86]

With a voice that perfectly balances grit and sugar, Daniel and band tread their indie/rock tightrope with flair. [Mar 2022, p.85]

Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You is both an album of admirable ambition and a mantra worth repeating until its mysteries are revealed. [Mar 2022, p.81]

A proper fire-starter. [Mar 2022, p.88]

The 7th Hand embodies contemporary jazz at its most thrilling. [Feb 2022, p.91]

It's not all strum und drang though. The beatless despair of Källans Återuppståndelse shows the harmonic subtleties at play within Von Hausswolff's bewitching repertoire of dissonance and drama. [Feb 2022, p.87]

The tunes are still naggingly memorable, but often less convivial, more melancholy. [Feb 2022, p.86]

The edges of 2019's Candy Colored Doom have sharpened: her voice and guitar sheer off into abrasion on Metal Bird. [Feb 2022, p.85]

This is as perfect as any album can be. [Mar 2022, p.98]

The corners of these songs might not snag quite as dangerously as before, but there's no blunting of the fascination Le Bon's songwriting so expertly exerts. [Mar 2022, p.80]

Ants... represents a substantial step forward for them. [Mar 2022, p.84]

Her balance of mesmerising, confessional intensity with sculpted pop instincts remains an unfailing pleasure throughout. [Mar 2022, p.85]

The sisters soar even higher here. [Feb 2022, p.91]

Shimmering debut. [Mar 2022, p.90]