Sub-Lingual Tablet is occasionally lumpen, frequently marred by Smith's recently adopted growl yet powered by enough energy and spark to burn through any reservations. [Jun 2015, p.105]

What makes those sounds compelling here are Ingersoll's buttery rhymes and an ability to zero in on your rhythmic G-spots. [May 2014, p.113]

Hansard's elastic vocals hit all the right notes. Missing, however, is an earthiness that could take these polished songs to another level. [Feb 2018, p.111]

There's little that's newly inspired and, aside from the understated Always Tomorrow, nothing superior to past glories. [Aug 2005, p.132]

Refreshingly simple in its own small way. [Feb 2013, p.103]

The songs become more conventionally meaningful, but less mysterious [on the disc of English interpretations]. [Jun 2016, p.108]

If Strange Creatures show a grander musical approach, then lyrically they're still fascinated by the bleak detail of everyday life, even if lads-night-out-gone-wrong vignette Bonfire Of the City Boys and sax-peppered deadpan horror story Prom Night flip the mundane into something more twisted. [Apr 2019, p.110]

Cause & Effect plays to their strengths. [Nov 2019, p.112]

There are worse things to listen to as society slides into the abyss. [May 2020, p.104]

In the end, pretty and vacant just about covers it. [Mar 2013, p.94]

Sparkly fourth set from Zero 7's Australian singer. [July 2010, p. 139]

Gibson's music has a strange timelessness faded and well-mulched, though there are moments when the mood proves a little too sludgy to be memorable. [Jul 2015, p.106]

Longwave is more improvisational, and the results are even more spidery than before. [Jun 2018, p.109]

Contains some potentially highly commercial music, were it not for the underwhelming production. [Sep 2004, p.118]

An orgy of harmonica, squalling guitar, plodding ballads and ill-fitting minimalist trousers. What on earth is going on? [Oct 2003, p.113]

A return to form. Definitely. [June 2002, p.108]

Sixth album by the artist who won MOJO's Best Breakthrough Act award 2007, aged 66. [July 2011, p. 100]

Despite the skill, it's delivered like a well-to-do busker rather than with the requisite polish. [Mar 2013, p.96]

These songs come with fuzzy edges, a puff of smoke, a gentle wobble. It's Owen's solid songwriting skills that tether them to Earth, though. [Summer 2018, p.109]

We Are Undone is just a little too well put together to convince. [Mar 2015, p.118]

Reassuringly, life is good once more. [#361, p.107]

Despite Styles' self-conscious references, his debut avoids indulgence. [Aug 2017, p.110]

The conveyor belt of vocalists means an album-long identity crisis, but there are good things here. [Feb 2011, p.117]

Voyage, ironically, takes us nowhere we haven't been, but has a blast revisiting Vitalic's favourite haunts. [Feb 2017, p.119]

For his eigth studio album he's gone over the top politically. [Feb 2009, p.116]

Far from being aural wallpaper, this is ambient music that's both engaging and engrossing. [Mar 2012, p.112]

The 11-strong-Mex ensemble's Latinised arrangements are intricate but lifeless. [Apr 2016, p.111]

Guided by a love of '80s synth-pop, but feeding in elements gleaned from Chicago house and Italo disco, they come across like a Nordic Junior Boys. [Oct 2017, p.107]