Fly Rasta offers no concessions to the new-fangled ways of hip-hop, dancehall and R&B. [Jun 2014, p.114]

His 10th effort is his most focused since 2001's "Kittenz And Thee Glitz." [Oct 2009, p.111]

While Coco Sumner certainly makes her mistakes, not least a stumbling cover of Neil Young's Only Love Can Break Your Heart, she's her own, electro-poppy woman. [Nov 2010, p.112]

Infinitely bland. [Oct 2003, p.111]

Stunningly impressive... It's something that demands to exist beyond iPods, something that should be bought rather than downloaded, and played from start to finish. [Aug 2004, p.108]

He clearly has difference aspirations to many of his contemporaries, but on this evidence hasn't completely freed himself o f their influence. [Sep 2014, p.112]

Everything Is Borrowed is a huge disappointment, riding in on the crest of the huge disappointment that was Skinner's previous album. [Oct 2008, p.140

This third album won't appease the doubters, the sound of their previous Billboard chart-crashing album now polished until it gleams like chrome. [Jun 2010, p.120]

[Natalie Bergman's] undoubtedly gifted, but the end result feels as passionless as a first date at Starbucks. [Apr 2013, p.112]

The sulky formula which established them, however, like the seismic chords of Control or the crunching Battle In Me, proves the efficacy of this recycled Garbage. [Jun 2012, p.114]

The only annoyance is the production, which seems to believe that America will only buy rock by a Scotsman from London if it's laden with stadium-pop Waterboys/Mumfords/Titanic Celtic cack rock. [Jun 2013, p.101]

The results may inevitably resemble a compilation, but the calm, luxurious and emotional Dive Deep is their most satisfying outing since they stopped being famous. [Mar 2008, p.107]

Having been dumped by their label, and in turn voluntarily dumped this scheduled third record's first draft, Simon Franks and Tom Disdale have taken their time, entice Madness's Suggs and Mike Barson into cameos and emergwed altogether stronger. [May 2010, p.112]

With this 30th outing there's a troubling sense of treading water. [Jul 2013, p.103]

The follow-up [to 2013's All Hail Bright Futures] doesn't start well, picking up where that album's most irritating moments left off. [Jun 2015, p.100]

Calder employs a startling falsetto over tightly wound tunes that twist your emotions from the gently reflective to swelling with longing in a heartbeat. [Jan 2017, p.115]

Enjoyable but not exactly exciting. [Mar 2018, p.108]

This is music so guarded it's all but impenetrable. [Apr 2007, p.117]

It's got some fine, graceful tunes. [May 2006, p.128]

Nashville at its most belligerently formulaic. [Nov 2002, p.105]

Lacking the strangely compelling shambolic glory of his first solo album Unfinished Monkey Business and the crisper soul-warrior posing of second solo set Golden Greats, this album isn't going to fulfill Brown's hopes of bettering The Stone Roses' debut.

Hence the London outfit's second album is an all-acoustic, bucolic affair. [Aug 2010, p.116]

This late-period curio isn't one for the purists. ... A patchy affair. [Oct 2019, p.117]

These supremely accessible, expansively produced, mostly summery pop songs often suggest a less bilious, more fleet-footed Frank Turner. [Jul 2014, p.112]

She has good songs, but no great songs. [Aug 2003, p.105]

And so, yet again, Prince remains an artist in sore need of an outside editor. Still, if your attention span as a Prince fan has been sorely tested, HITnRUN Phase Two is a good point to reconnect with him. [Mar 2016, p.113]

Functional and festival-friendly, their epic naivety quickly becomes wearing. [Jul 2015, p.111]

A reflection on a childhood spent between Glasgow and Newcastle, Get Lucky is all muted colours, bluesy licks and hard-won wsdom, delivered with a subtlety benefitting the presence of Scottish multi-instrumentalist John McCusker. [Oct 2009, p.113]