Here's a band on top of the world, and on top of their game. [Oct 2012, p.98]

That Godrich is a master at harnessing restless energy should be no surprise. Here is further proof. [May 2020, p.112]

It's impossible not to be swept up in the exuberance. [Feb 2016, p.111]

This time there is too little that snags the ear. [Nov 2016, p.114]

Their fifth album builds on 2007's well-received "Abandoned Language," with MC Dalek's rhymes playing second fiddle to producer Oktopus's darkly imaginative soundscapes. [Mar 2009, p.96]

Hypnophobia is enjoyably immersive while it lasts, yet like so many dreams it's hard to recall any of the specific details once it's been and gone. [Jun 2015, p.106]

Building a forthright sound on upfront drums, piano and Stephen Patterson's angsty vocals, tracks including Burundi-drumming lead single Percussion gun and the suspenseful groover Right Where They Left are a winning balance of art-indie mope and pop energy. [Feb 2010, p. 113]

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

There's enough to help fans rekindle the love affair. [Dec. 2011 p. 129]

Ultimately, with its emphasis on synths and beats over the sterling melodies of Love Letters, Summer 08 ends up coming over like a stopgap offering--or a Joe Mount solo record--rather than the next Metronomy album proper. However, those who miss the slightly demented groves of the pre-fame Metronomy are advised to dive in. [Aug 2016, p.112]

An odd mix, but a perfect setting for George's intoxicatingly sweet voice. [Apr 2007, p.117]

An album very much worthy of The Specials' name. [Mar 2019, p.118]

Boyle is still at his strongest when he opts to bring the noise. [Jul 2015, p.102]

At times mesmerising, at others merely patience-testing, it nevertheless stays true to Darko's vision of himself as a man apart. [Nov 2015, p.103]

The intensity of his pain is inescapable in this exhausting explanation of what really becomes of the broken-hearted. [Oct 2004, p.124]

It's packed with clever songwriting, wry observations and occasional Leonard Cohen-esque dark foreboding. [Jan 2012, p.120]

Powerhouse is a string statement: galvanised, streamlined, charged emotionally until sparks fly. [Jan 2019, p.113]

They seem ground down by arguments. [Oct 2010, p.111]

A heartening set of high speed melody, humanism and pessimism.

Their kooky appeal wanes over the course of an album, reminding you that sometimes cults stay that way for a reason. [July 2011, p. 106]

This isn't quite their peak (not least since it seems to have been recorded in a shed next to a motorway), but when they hit their stride it's clear why they're so revered, most thrillingly on the anthem that is, 1,2,3, Partyy!, the stentorian Forget Yourself or the beguiling closer, Slow Faucet. [Jan 2010, p. 122]

10 ready-made, slightly wonky theme tunes. [May 2013, p.113]

Those familiar with Oberst's method... will find much to admire in the direct ranting on display. [Jan 2006, p.127]

Bristling with ideas, it's an album worth getting to grips with. [Mar 2014, p.115]

The vocals make Savage Hills Ballroom an acquired taste, but those who enjoy a bitter pill will swallow it whole. [Oct 2015, p.117]

Successfully bring[s] new features to familiar territory. [Jul 2005, p.115]

It still pays dividends, The Notwist adding melody to the fractured electronica of Themselves and gaining rhythmic substance in return. [Jun 2011, p.107]

Ghostpoet's empathy for his characters scarcely makes the narrow emotional bandwidth less oppressive. [Apr 2015, p.109]