A simple, often stark record reminiscent of her eponymous 1985 debut.

Long-awaited debut from the sweary Brooklyn collective. [Feb. 2011, p. 120]

A bit relentless at times, but Chemical Brothers fans should give it a spin.

There is occasional subtlety and drama amid the bombast. [Jul 2014, p.114]

Mature rather than groundbreaking. [May 2002, p.122]

If there's a flaw, it's that Mathe's songwriting is more conventional than the arrangements. But there's no denying the emotion behind his heartfelt croon. [Sep 2013, p.97]

While the title's end-of-days concept might be flimsy, the grooves are rock solid. [Feb 2017, p.115]

Scroobius will always smack of Marmite, but he's shaken off some of the whiff of student poet, even addressing bling culture without sounding like a finger-wagging cliche on Gold Teeth. [Nov 2013, p.105]

Broken Down Gentlemen is unshowy and classily-executed folk. [Apr 2013, p.101]

To truly get into the spirit, though, you'll need to have an attention span longer than his own. [Mar 2013, p.96]

If the closing tracks' chaotic guitars comes close to unlistenability, many fine moments beforehand make forgiveness easy. [Oct 2008, p.142]

Their rock'n'roll commitment is beyond doubt, although casual observers might want to wait for their promised new album. [Dec 2008, p.142]

Sudden Elevation sacrifices her native tongue and most of her earlier tweeness, while retaining her capacity to move and enchant. [Mar 2013, p.93]

Admittedly, there's a lack of shock here, but plenty of awe. [Mar 2014, p.119]

Exuding vague disquiet rather than outright despair, the self-produced DRaw The Line freshens up the formula just enough to keep things interesting. [Oct 2009, p.108]

Night On My Side is undeniably flawed... but there's enough here to suggest a future that's far from bedroom-bound. [June 2002, p.116]

At times they pull in too many directions at once. [Jun 2015, p.116]

There's a lack of emotional intrigue or maverick charm here that keeps everything at a shrug-inducing distance. [Sep 2003, p.100]

You'd expect better from a band so on top of their game.

Somewhat muted follow-up. [Oct 2018, p.111]

It's the same stark template of vocals, acoustic guitars and assorted surprising adornments, but they save themselves from the overworthy trap by those voices. [Sep 2013, p.100]

A dense dish to consume in one sitting, perhaps, but Bootsy's spicy narrations and undulating, jazz-informed basslines hold it all together. [Dec 2017, p.105]

The overall feel is Sonic Youth Unplugged. [Oct 2007, p.106]

The primitive beauty of Matt Pike's dense riffs and Des Kensel's tribal rhythms should ensure that the Foo Fighters' frontman usn't the only one falling in love with the Oakland trio.

Feels so far behind the curve that it's just rolling gently backwards on roller-skates at this point. ... More edge, it seems, would only burst their bubble. [Jun 2020, p.106]

As richly rewarding a work of brilliance as it is, Crack The Skye will nonetheless be beyond the ken of all but those with the most open of minds--or pre--attuned ears. [Apr 2009, p.107]

A sombre listen, but a rewarding one. [Apr 2013, p.103]

This debut full-length channels abrasive energy akin to early SoundCloud rap. [Summer 2016, p.111]