As unique as ever. [Jun 2003, p.102]

Maybe not as consistent as previous efforts, but when Beam harmonises with his sister Sarah, in particular, Woman King is really a very lovely thing indeed. [Mar 2005, p.104]

Jim O'Rourke's solo work comes to mind on tracks like Leaders, but there's more emotional depth here. [Feb 2005, p.102]

Uneasy, strangely compelling listening. [Mar 2003, p.111]

A confident return. [Jul 2006, p.115]

Given time and a little effort, [his songs] begin to cast their own rewarding chamber-pop spell. [Mar 2005, p.98]

Insane, but in a good way. [Nov 2005, p.123]

Their poppiest album to date. [Feb 2003, p.107]

[His] gravel-like vocals envelop the album, while his well-travelled eyes ensure the lyrics are filled with knowing experience. [Mar 2004, p.109]

A fine album, offering quality tunes, if not clever punches. [May 2003, p.100]

Intriguing, unpredictable and far from ordinary. [Mar 2007, p.110]

Essential listening for mall rats everywhere. [Aug 2006, p.113]

Anyone expecting a lot of happy-clappy Bible-thumping best rethink. [Mar 2007, p.112]

Finds GBV playing to their long-standing strengths. [Oct 2004, p.124]

Three albums in the air of quirky, mad-scientific investigation is now a constant. [May 2005, p.121]

A fine start. [Mar 2004, p.113]

Showcase[s] a band revelling in their powers, in thrilling control of their screeching rock 'n' roll abandon. [Mar 2006, p.107]

It is, triumphantly, among the most camp mainstream pop records ever made. [Mar 2007, p.113]

A career highlight. [Sep 2006, p.109]

Costa's capable of holding her own, making the most of [Prince's and Lenny Kravitz's] skills while imposing her identity. [Sep 2005, p.115]

As complex and remarkable as everything that preceded it. [Jun 2003, p.92]

A wry and considered thing. [Oct 2004, p.128]

There's not much to tie it to the present day, but when the template is this well tuned that's no great problem. [Oct 2004, p.129]

Contains more than its fair share of exquisite melancholy and careering abandon. [Nov 2005, p.123]

A modish conflation of acoustic guitars, violins, subtle electronics and artfully detached vocals, located somewhere near Amnesiac-era Radiohead. [Feb 2005, p.104]

This is a very minor-chord affair. [Feb 2004, p.104]

Yet for all the nostalgia, the lurching strut of tracks such as Boom Ditty and Breaktime remains undeniably potent and contemporary. [Dec 2005, p.156]

They're talented then, but also lucky that the strength of the decent songs outweighs the inclusion of the odd rough sketch, a studio jam, and an outright Chas & Dave-style stinker. [Dec 2002, p.103]