But on his 14th album, this spiritual cowboy ("Home is where my horse is," he sings on Natural Forces) appears to have rediscovered his adolescent side. [Dec 2009, p. 119]

Featuring no less than 15 different songwriters, Fever is step-aerobic heaven, each song shiny, bouncy and as expertly arranged, if ultimately soulless, as one would expect from so many contributors.

An exercise in restraint. [Aug 2018, p.114]

The result is intense, fractured and uncomfortable. However, by continuing the trajectory of Mess, only deep-diving further into abstract electronics, it also reveals itself as a strangely exhilarating listen. It's a shame they didn't have time to explore it further. [Aug 2018, p.113]

Numan and collaborator Ade Fenton complement the narrative with a sand-blown, Eastern gothic mood, featuring use of Arabic scales, which evoke a desert within the human soul as much as any hypothetical desert Earth. [Oct 2017, p.107]

This is a ludicrously enjoyable record, shedding Razorlight's US-targeted bluster and awkwardly stalking that curious mid-70s musical patch where pub rock and glam shaded into punk. [Aug 2013, p.97

It bobbles along, slowly but gracefully. [Feb 2005, p.100]

There are times even [Tom Clarke] threatens to get swallowed up in a swirling mix that leaves the post-dubstep scene decisively behind them. [Sep 2014, p.106]

Instead of intense rock, it's a more atmospheric piece of work. [Nov 2005, p.123]

It can ramble, but their landscape is so compelling, the scenic route is no punishment. [Dec 2018, p.108]

They spent three weeks recording this eclectic set of covers ranging from The Moody Blues to Spoon, all delivered with the steel-trap tightness of a touring band. [Jun 2010, p.128]

She's got some distance to travel before she's a truly mind-blowing, norm-shattering pop star. She's not the new Madonna, just a very naughty girl. [Oct 2010, p.117]

Not for the faint-hearted then, but there's definitely something to enjoy in its sheer bloody-mindlessness. [Mar 2015, p.117]

The disruptions continue on these post-classical keyboard pieces given extra depth by textured electronics, which create an underlying tension befitting the album's brief to examine possible ecological futures. [Jun 2017, p.109]

Terraplane pays tribute to the greats and puts 60-year-old Earle's own slant on living with a broken heart. [Apr 2015, p.99]

It bristles with roaring guitars and the whiskey-guzzling howl of Ben Ward. [Mar 2012, p.105]

Gardot mixes jazz and R&B with elegant string arrangements and acoustic guitars to beguiling, small-hour effect. [Mar 2009, p.98]

Ultimately, the outlook remains lucuratively overcast. [Dec 2009, p.137]

With a running time of barely half-an-hour, it seems likely to remain a minor footnote to Drozd and Coyne's already extensive back catalogue. [Sep 2014, p.106]

It's an album that shows the breadth of Harcourt's talent, certainly, but you can't help but miss the warm burr of his voice. [Jan 2019, p.109]

The bulk of the R&B tracks are gloopy. [Mar 2006, p.106]

Hey Venus! feels like a missed opportunity. [Sep 2007, p.94]

Sometimes, it sounds so soporific that there's a lingering sense Chung can't quite be bothered to up the tempo. [Mar 2013, p.108]

It's difficult to sit through, yes, but that could well be Herbert's smartest reflection of the times. [May 2019, p.112]

Impressive but so unblinkingly stern. [Oct 2013, p.101]

The best track here is named after a local town called Sheffield but the massive wall of guitars and tidal wave of drums and cymbals put you in mind of Happy Mondays or The Stone Roses in a tussle with The Jesus And Mary Chain. [Dec 2008, p.123]

Co-produced in the US by Grizzly Bear's Chris Taylor, Twin Shadow is assured hipster status in his adopted New York home. [Jan 2011, p.142]

Despite the relaxed setting, these songs have a restless urgency. [Summer 2018, p.106]