Solid ground is simply beautiful, David Davison's reedy warble offset by a ghostly mellotron, while campfire strum-along Was and power-pop gem Israeli Caves are proof that their melodic detour was well worth the effort. [Nov 2010, p.111]

There's an Everyman appeal to Once Upon A Time... that suggests a band on the verge. [Oct 2007, p.88]

He's less convincing when he rocks, but he understands both depth and beauty. [Mar 2015, p.104]

Hunger's three-minute nuggets blend '80s guitar jangle with doo-wop harmonies, the nostalgic charm offset by the neurotic intensity of both the lyrics and frontman Frankie Francis's desperate vocals. [Mar 2011, p.104]

There may be more instant records, but a little effort reaps its own rich rewards. [Feb 2013, p.109]

Sadly much of this record is stuck in the shallows. [Dec 2019, p.114]

While it lacks the sheer otherworldliness of his heyday, it is still a startling successful marriage of old and new. [Aug 2020, p.102]

It's a uniformly lovely if melodically insubstantial mode. [Summer 2020, p.105]

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

Each songwriter is honored, and often improved by Rumer's thoughtful readings. [Jul 2012, p.109]

Stark, speedy, ferocious---all their established calling card are here. [Oct 2015, p.114]

The genre pinballing can work--Brock pulls out his carney Tom Waits voice for Sugar Boats--but it's also uneven, unsteadying. [Apr 2015, p.94]

The real surprises come when they sound relaxed, even delicate. [Oct 2012, p.92]

It's all slick, sassy and infectious, but she's clearly capable of being much more besides. [Dec 2016, p.109]

Not a lot of thought has gone into changing the formula. [Nov 2010, p.111]

With the exception of 'Hummingbird,' they indulge in far too many sixth-form mioments. [July 2008, p.98]

Heavy, punishing and dense groove metal that never quite manages to be memorable. [Oct 2013, p.102]

It veers back to the more melancholy, washed-out experimentalism of their first records, while occasionally seeking to beak new territory. [Nov 2016, p.111]

Matt Skiba's bitter lyrics still have an impressive sting, and with My Chemical Romance on hiatus, his misanthropy may yet secure a broader audience. [Aug 2008, p.135]

An impressively thoughtful album. [Oct 2003, p.103]

So outstanding is 'Cinderella' that its siblings pale in its shadow. [Sep 2007, p.88]

The quartet's hardcore horror shtick has been homogenised to such an extent that this teen-friendly eigth release could soundtrack the next Twilight movie. [Nov 2009, p.101]

Some judicious pruning would have helped, but this is a promising first step forwards, even if it spends it s entire running time looking backwards. [May 2013, p.96]

Throughout, the sense of a man finding his own path is convincing. [Nov 2014, p.111]

Only the closing tracks, where they grow overwhelmed by their own inertia, stands between this and something essential. [Aug 2016, p.115]

Lovelaws feels like an act of introspection that's gone too far, one that might have benefited from a breath of fresh air, a trip outside its head. [Jul 2018, p.118]

One nostalgia trip worth taking. [Oct 2008, p.147]

The results are serviceable. [Jul 2015, p.111]