Sweet Sweet Silent is hardly the most strident listen, but it's not without grit. The choruses are understated but addictive and the fragile intricacies are beguiling. [Sep 2017, p.115]

On occasion, Ludacris fumbles the ball... but he can certainly mix it with the big boys. [Jan 2002, p.104]

It often feels a little formulaic, but, boy do they have that formula down to a fine art. [Nov 2016, p.107]

Liddle's earthy vocal wobble remains central, but this time it's married to such strident, straightforward rock that no one's going to compare them with Mumfords again. [Oct 2014, p.109]

It still comes from within a hydroponic fug of sedated beats and mumbled vocals. However, there's also a renewed sense of self. [Nov 2014, p.119]

A tough, focused, danceable album. [Jun 2006, p.113]

A collection of loose - in fact, very loose - rock-n-roll with at least one foot in the '60s. [Dec. 2011 p. 136]

This fourth album finds them repeating the nifty trick of simplifying Tool's complex musical equations. Math metal for dummies, anyone? [Jan 2009, p.113]

For all the craft she shows, for all her ability to move and for all the promise of the zinging, Indian-inflected Growing Pains, Birdy is undone by an unwillingness to change her musical pace. [Jun 2016, p.110]

This friskier, fresher take on Evelyn's previous fare is especially well judged bearing in mind that the last thing the world needs is another chill-out album. [Sep 2002, p.111]

A rather erratic affair. [Apr 2002, p.119]

The tunes come think and fast, but their geeky adolescent routine is wearing thin. [Jan 2010, p. 126]

Ten Thousand and One Injuries works best when the frenetic pace eases up a little. [May 2010, p.122]

It's pretty good. Production values have been upped in the intervening period but rather than smooth out their edges, they only serve to accentuate their fierce, angular approach. [Aug 2015, p.110]

Gomez's future seems cloudy, but with these nine tracks, Ottewell has a fighting chance. [Mar 2011, p.112]

Heartstrings lacks the killer song that would bring Howling Bells the success they undoubtedly crave. [Jul 2014, p.109]

JPEGMAFIA's flashes of brilliance are obscured by a bloated tracklist, but they're worth digging out. [Nov 2019, p.111]

Joseph D'Agostino's voice can get a little grating: too often he's hysterically over-emoting. [Oct 2014, p.107]

In this case, less is more. [Nov 2012, p.106]

The overall effect is not dissimilar to Sugababes, only with added adult content. [Aug 2006, p.111]

Oozing with dark passion, Nux Vomica is very Nick Cave. [Oct 2006, p.127]

A dark, challenging album. [Feb 2013, p.107]

Their infectious electro-funk certainly has a new hedonistic swagger. [Feb 2012, p.104]

Fredo does little to soften the edges of his rough-cut persona for this solo debut album. [Mar 2019, p.115]

Story Of The Year manage to stand out from the melodic post-hardcore morass due to the sheer stength of their anthems, That said, there's little new on this fourth album. [Apr 2010, p.106]

Full marks, then, for ambitions but there's still a powerful sense here of a man trying way too hard. [Aug 2018, p.108]

Not always easy to decode, but worth the effort. [Jun 2014, p.103]

Another year, another Jah Wobble album knocked out with a slew of collaborators and little interest in much, you suspect, beyond the immediate entertainment of its participants. [Sep 2016, p.114]