The most intimate record of the year, and one of the warmest. [Oct 2003, p.113]

For the first time in their 19-year career, Pearl Jam actually sound--whisper it--fun. [Oct 2009, p.119]

There is one glaring drawback: so taboo-shredding are her lyrics, and so brutal her music, that she probably won't achieve the clout to which she obviously aspires. [Oct 2003, p.99]

A mix of '70s art-rock, hipster funk and sleek DeLorean pop. ... Shuman's loss is our gain. [Sep 2019, p.112]

Satisfying in every way that Aphex Twin's Drukqs wasn't. [Apr 2002, p.110]

There's no doubt Chasny and his cohorts know all about dynamic underpinning, making Ascent a trip worth taking. [Sep 2012, p.111]

It's the renewed sense of urgency and bubblegum appeal--see Live 'Til I Die--which ensures that Prof Hawkins's musical multiverse is still a thrilling place. [Dec 2019, p.109]

A collection of irresistible pop-rock anthems. [Nov 2005, p.125]

Long-term aficionados will enjoy the sinuous throb of King Of Bones, while those thinking of rejoining the party, the expansive voodoo rattle of Haunt shows the band's mastery of (bad) mood has only matured with age. [Feb 2018, p.108]

The Result is a monochrome masterclass where khol-eyed '60s pop and British Invasion riffs are given emotional depth. [Sept. 2010, p. 117]

The songs this time have a depth and a warm maturity, a Neil Young sensibility coupled with a soul-singer sensuality and a distinct pop edge. [Feb 2016, p.113]

Full of irresistible choruses and quirky surprises, it's the sound of a band fully deserving of star billing. [Sep 2007, p.90]

It's the vocals which gives this debut its distinctive flavour. [May 2018, p.107]

This is a winner from start to finish. [May 2018, p.111]

All the evidence anyone needs that the 50-something Weller is in the midst of a supersonic prime. [Mar 2012, p. 98]

It's undoubtedly a sad voice she presents on Reward, but one that is unlike anyone else's. [Jul 2019, p.107]

It all ads up to an unlikely, if not unlovable nostalgia trip to a less fraught time. [Sep 2019, p.112]

Air thrive on existing at an otherworldly tangent and their cosmic bent is never far away here. [Feb 2004, p.99]

Super Furry Animal ditches band and experimentation for the simple life. [March 2011, p. 114]

Vol. 2 proves the equivalent of its parent release.

Georgia electro-popper emerges as the first star of "chillwave". [Aug. 2011, p. 122]

His best record in more than a decade. [Dec 2017, p.104]

The meticulous arranged synths, crackling guitars and electronic glitches ensure the attention never wavers. [Feb 2016, p.114]

Their boldest and best album for years. [Jan 2012, p.124]

Extremely inventive, a litttle uptight and slightly high on their own cleverness, Vampire Weekend are the musical equivalent of a Wes Anderson movie. [Mar 2008, p.109]

It's arty and possibly proggy, but the warmth of Duncan Wallis's voice never lets it get distant. [Feb 2013, p.103]

Parquet Courts have delivered a fifth full-length album that ticks every box on the application form [for an uber-cool New York band of the Velvet Underground/Sonic Youth lineage]. [May 2016, p.114]

This third effort sees the band step into darker territory, blending detuned guitars and Sonic Youth-esque dissonance with infectious pop-punk hooks. [Mar 2012, p. 100]