The majority of material... is forgettable. [Dec 2003, p.118]

Though not what Lopes or TLC will be remembered for, it's a solid effort. [Jan 2003, p.124]

For every screamed verse there's a genuinely soft melody. ... The Garden's uniquely garbage kind of glamour is far better than their clownish antics would suggest. [Jun 2020, p.100]

In a career already dotted with peaks, this is definitely another. [Jun 2018, p.113]

This one's a colorful addition to Smith's rambling canon. [Sep 2017, p.109]

An inventive reworking of Squeeze's "Up The Junction" and a caustic cover of the Sex Pistols' "EMI" are reminders that, 15 years on from "I Should Coco," their passionate (Brit)pop still crackles with energy. [Apr 2010, p.112]

The Quiet One seized his moment with a burst of productivity encompassing 1968's raga-meets-rock-meets-music-hall Wonderwall Music, '69's Moog synthesizer noodle-fest Electronic Sound and '70s sprawling Phil Spector-produced melodic masterpiece All Things Must Pass. [Nov 2014, p.124]

But on his 14th album, this spiritual cowboy ("Home is where my horse is," he sings on Natural Forces) appears to have rediscovered his adolescent side. [Dec 2009, p. 119]

Killer tunes. The hyperventilating Buccaneers Of Hispaniola is as cheesily brilliant as it sounds. [Nov 2017, p.107]

There are moments when the slick threatens to overwhelm the raw, and not just when extraneous elements are introduced. But the gut-level punch of Kerr's bass and the thunderstruck gallop of Thatcher's drumming cannot be denied. [Aug 2017, p.106]

Despite some straight-ahead country rocking and blue-eyed soul, it's on the title track, a finely crafted meditation on love's bewildering ways, where she really finds her own voice, setting her apart from the pack. [May 2008, p.136]

His abiding fascination with conceptual work is mirrored in the mischievous spirit at play on Pure Beauty. [Apr 2018, p.113]

The punchy power-pop of Mission Control owes more to the Foo Fighters. [July 2008, p.113]

Not for the unquesting. [Mar 2005, p.101]

Often the players transform the hushed originals into rousing barnstormers, although diehards might baulk at the cluttered performances and newcomers may wonder what seperates the "Prince" from other raggle-taggle troubadours. [Nov 2008, p.107]

Milwaukee songstress's first offering. [Feb. 2011, p. 123]

The results should be riveting. Sporadically, they are. [Jan 2012, p.127]

All over the place, he takes you along for an engaging ride. [Feb 2012, p.97]

Amid all the wanton airy-fairyness, this is just brilliant pop music. [Jul 2013, p.106]

Though the structures are still experimental, there's enough gentle rhythm and memorable refrains here to keep it grounded and gorgeous. [Jul 2013, p.100]

The Voyeurs' determination to peer through the capital's sleazier keyholes should be applauded. [Jan 2015, p.132]

As a coherent album it's flawed, then, but with more consistent songwriting one senses they could be contenders next time around. [Apr 2016, p.107]

The overall effect is of a band who have experienced life's slings and arrows but now exude both tenderness and wisdom. [Jul 2016, p.106]

Engagingly eccentric. [Dec 2016, p.110]

Only some odd choices of collaborators--like actor Joe Pesci on The Nearness Of You--mars what could have been a beautiful swansong. [May 2017, p.111]

If their principal audience is a nostalgic one, The Selecter deserve credit for refusing to bask in its obvious comforts. [Nov 2017, p.112]

At times, a work of considerable beauty. [Jun 2005, p.108]

He remains a little too in thrall to these heavy influences, despite fashioning an album of melodious songs that deserve a wider audience. [Mar 2008, p.115]

Those familiar with their late-'80s classics will be glad to hear them back on form, though it's hard to see this winning over many new fans. [Nov 2007, p.144]

The live material shows the band in their element, even if the limitations of Johnson's voice are exposed, flawless performances of "Hells Bells" and "Live Wire" explaining why they're still one of the most thrilling live acts. [Jan 2010, p.131]

Their 13th release, Lollipop, continues to rein in their wayward and abrasive tendencies for something more measured. [Jun 2011, p.124]

Any darkness never overwhelms an album which feels as welcoming as an unscheduled drink with an old friend. [Dec 2016, p.110]

ADHD-powered hardcore New York punk. [Sept. 2011, p. 104]

It takes truly special songs to lure you in so deeply you forget it's a museum piece. And for the most part these aren't--they're simply good enough. [Mar 2013, p.105]

On an album tat is filled with gems, Jenny Lewis is the crown jewel. [Sep 2007, p.85]

The overall effect is not dissimilar to a less arch Rufus Wainwright, although the quality of songs does tail off slightly toward the end. [Jul 2012, p.113]

Their pure pop rock is both uncomplicated and uninhibited. [June 2002, p.120]

For every fine song, such as recent single I Wish, there's a skip load of ropy ballads.

In places, though, the live show is a little too freeform and rambling. The 11 new studio tracks on CD2 are much more focused.... [Dec 2001, p.131]

An intelligent, well-crafted and catchy mix of funk, rap, soul and right-on sloganeering. [Jul 2003, p.104]

While the wheel remains un-reinvented, The Invisible Band finds its mark with unerring accuracy.

Generic, maybe, but very nicely done. [Nov. 2000, p.117]

It's a predictable sound, though there's a thrilling intensity here. [Jul 2013, p.110]

In cinematic terms, not a bomb. But not a blockbuster, either. [Sep 2017, p.116]

It acts as a skilled and timely reminder of his own uniquely vulnerable vision as a songwriter. [Oct 2015, p.102]

Factor in some amiable but lightweight filler and Yes falls maddeningly short of its glittering promise--a glimpse of pop nirvana when it should be the whole thing. [Apr 2009, p.109]

The result is as dreamy and captivating as anything Nicolas Godin has ever done. [Mar 2020, p.117]

In its crunchy guitars, rich harmonies and fist-pumping choruses, there's a warmth and positivity that, while occasionally too smooth, shows an admirable disregard for current trends. [Jun 2010, p.128]

It's hard to quarrel with the 27-minute running time when every second is irresisitible. [Jun 2010, p.124]

Big Troubles' flair for offsetting a gritty riff with a mesh of melodies is showcased throughout. [Nov. 2011, p.127]

His new project is even more deranged, much of its sounding like Butthole Surfers driving at you on a space-age steamroller. [Jun 2013, p.93]

On tracks such as single Weapon Of Choice, Berlin, 666 Conductor and Need Some Air, BRMC can show anyone a clean set of scuffed heels. [May 2007, p.123]

Rain revisits familiar Jackson themes of romantic disappointment and despair at the modern world with a pared-back immediacy that showcases his craftmanship to the full. [Feb 2008, p.96]

It may lack enough heavy hitters to equal the sucess of "Merriweather Post Pavilion," yet the aptly named McPhun has created a Technicolor, synapse-tickling delight. [Apr 2010, p.119]

Sometimes overly busy album. ... Swift soars when she is most herself. [Jan 2018, p.112]

Everything here is overdone, whether it's Nick Thorburn's thatrical vocals, the myriad pointless time changes or J'aime Vous Von Quitter's horrid La Bamba-style outero. [June 2008, p.142]

It is sufficiently gritty to at least keep her in the game. [May 2011, p.126]

A parade of intriguing timbres and textures ensures each song is as seductive as the last. [Summer 2018, p.113]

So while this collection of singles, B-sides and cover versions might lack the tight focus of previous album Etiquette, there is still flashes of lo-fi pop brillance. [Apr 2009, p.102]

You don't need an encyclopaedic knowledge of LA-based folk-rock to enjoy the rough-hewn vocals and gnarled, grainy guitar play of these London-based chums-of-Mumford. [Jun 2013, p.107]

Their eighth album is no departure. [Jan 2011, p.135]

All you need to notice about Oui Oui... is that, together, these musicians can still rustle up a synergy no other band can imitate. [Dec 2012, p.102]

It's the album's dream-like middle section where the real alchemy happens. [Sep 2013, p.102]

Absorbing, if not exactly inviting. [Apr 2015, p.100]

Lilting protest number Corruption Na Stealing comes closets to discovering a rhythm of its own. [Apr 2018, p.111]

Gracie's at his best, however, when dialling it down for the high-end folk of When You Go or hanging out over the ragged edge for The Death Of You & I. [Jun 2018, p.114]

Ultra is one for the hardcore fans. [Oct 2016, p.113]

Overall this is a record that's as thrillingly dark and overwhelming as anything they've attempted to date. [Oct 2015, p.117]

It's hard to listen to this deeply disappointing record for long without wanting to revisit Vertigo instead.

There's a gnawing gutlessness at work here, which ultimately sells him short. [Feb 2004, p.101]

A less spirited affair, with little spark or enthusiasm. [Mar 2003, p.102]

He tackles unexpected covers to pleasing effect. [Mar 2002, p.120]

The usual blend of knockabout punk rock, nutty-boy ska and witty lyrics. [Jul 2003, p.108]

Features a few ropey grunge numbers. [Aug 2002, p.133]

Son of Evil Reindeer has a fun, collaborative atmosphere which produces some truly unique moments. [June 2002, p.123]

Even a saint would find their patience severely tried by this. [Oct 2003, p.118]

A ferocious declaration of independence. [Jan 2005, p.124]

David Lewis Gedge seldom received credit for his Sinatra-esque vocal prowess or Dylan-style lyrical insights when fronting The Wedding Present, but his subsequent Cinerama project is a far more intriguing and beguiling affair.

When it works, it's a glorious thing. [Sep 2012, p.108]

This sequel journeys into the light. [Jul 2017, p.111]

Their combination of surreal lyrics and Krautrock now sounds pedestrian. [Oct 2008, p.142]

He's not the first person to have exploited the uranium half-life of the '80s but on Confetti's doomy missile-silo clang and the brassy Robert Smith jive of Alchemy And You, he customises it smartly for a newly paranoid generation. [May 2011, p.112]

Sadly, their own sixth album lacks the drive of either Battles or Mogwai. [Aug 2009, p.113]

Son of Richard and Linda. Acorns can fall far... [March 2011, p. 115]

It takes a special talent to mine new gold out of acoustic songwriting, and Ben Howard just isn't it. [Nov 2011, p.135]

He fashions an album that's playful and dewy-eyed, without being juvenile. [May 2011, p.109]

Much as Get Direct and New Year's day cry to be fleshed out, the reggaefied Ask Me suggests another way forwards, while the fiercely intelligent songs Shame and Stay sum up all that's right about this most singular artist. [Apr 2014, p.112]

It all has an airy charm, though it benefits hugely from a Daft Punk-y electro injection on Rick l'Adolescent and Aller vers le Soleil, both which transcend cheerful pastiche. But Tellier's opulence has limits. [Aug 2014, p.114]

You've got the novelty of a live album that borders on essential. [Jan 2017, p.104]

This follow-up boasts some vibrant garage funk reminiscent of fellow Bostonian, and sometime collaborator, Edan. [Jul 2009, p.122]

This 11 track-LP is bursting with energy and invention. [Jun 2012, p.99]

It's the sort of manic outsider funk that succeeds or fails on the basis of how charming you find Nguyen's delivery. [Apr 2013, p.95]

Too much... is just art for art's sake. [Oct 2005, p.121]

Here the diverse mix of everything from jazz funk to Pink Floyd seems better realised. [Mar 2005, p.101]

Anthems For Doomed Youth has plenty of reminders of why people fell in love with The Libertines in the first place.... For better or worse, the habit of both spinning and dwelling upon their own mythology remains too. [Oct 2015, p.112]

It's a record that opens the door with its's robe falling to the floor: louche, suggestive clammy in places. [Jun 2017, p.104]

As the title promises, it's not so much a departure as a significant advancement of a career-long mission. [July 2010, p. 130]

Maybe not vintage Willie, but entertaining enough. [Jul 2012, p.107]