The Unforgiving's rampaging orchestral stabs and hysterical synths, coupled with Sharon den Adel's fevered vocal flourishes, make for awful Euro-pop with the odd distorted guitar. [May 2011, p.115]

When they ease off the gas, such as on the relatively forgettable High and Afterglow, they can err towards pedestrian emo, but there's enough toughness here to see them comfortably over the line. [Apr 2018, p.108]

Where the big boys tick and twitch, Longwave merely plod. [Mar 2003, p.111]

This lack of reinvention... does not mean lack of invention. [Jul 2006, p.108]

A few too many of these songs follow an all-too-familiar formula -- slow-burning introduction building to a crashing finale -- but on Still Tonight, Lately and last year's single Til The End, the bluster melts away to reveal Haven's passionately beating heart.

It's not an obvious fit, and with all songs apparently written in the space of just three days there's distinctly rushed, work-in-progress feel that does nobody any favours. [Jan 2011, p.142]

Last Night is a welcome return to the dancefloor following 2005's patchy rock-dance experiment "Hotel," though it still feels as if Moby is struggling to live down the 10 million-selling "Play." [Apr 2008, p.112]

While his satanic-hick shtick hasn't evolved an iota since the first Hellbilly Deluxe, there's no denying that he knows his audience. [Mar 2010, p.97]

Morissette is rarely dull, but she can occasionally be wearying. [July 2008, p.107]

Some rather ordinary, slightly tuneless indie rock. [Jul 2005, p.112]

If they tend toward the opaque, a soothing vibraphone or twinkling guitar arpeggio is never too far away. [Oct 2009, p.108]

[Producer Mutt] Lange proves an excellent match. Never before have Bellamy's guitars sounded so terrific. [Jul 2015, p.110]

The twosome's sincere kitchen-sink music and lyrical pathos mean the tales of Chicago life unravel like a good Paul Auster novel. [Dec 2005, p.150]

Draws heavily on Depeche Mode and the Pet Shop Boys.... It would take a dazzling collection to sound anything other than a poor relation to such synth titans, and this plainly isn't it. [July 2002, p.108]

Uneasy, strangely compelling listening. [Mar 2003, p.111]

Dig deeper, and you'll find rich arrangements more reminiscent of Knopfler's soundtrack work. [Oct 2002, p.110]

There's absolutely nothing wrong with Mono, but bands such as Godspeed You! Black Emperor and Explosions In The Sky do it better. [Aug 2004, p.116]

The major surprise is just how on top of their game they sound on this orgy of melody. [Apr 2009, p.110]

If there is a highlight on this surprisingly dog-free set it's Fight For This Love, where soaring melody piles upon soaring melody without sacrificing its subtle grace. [Dec 2009, p. 121]

A load of rubbish. [Jul 2012, p.110]

A mostly stylish mix of indie nous and Hollywood glitz. [Nov 2014, p.120]

What distinguishes New Build is their lyrical inner monologue, which speaks of a reflective mind given to philosophical enquiry. [Dec 2014, p.114]

Portico are definitely onto something here, but just haven't fully realised it yet.[May 2015, p.109]

It's the interregnum between rock'n'roll and The Beatles and, if the line-up is disparate, the tone is constant, one of languor and melancholy, with re-creation rather than reinterpretation the aim. [Jun 2017, p.112]

The shift between styles can jar, but it's a move that give Broods' inoffensive formula a welcome burst of energy. [Mar 2019, p.112]

Get Hurt is neither weird, nor, unfortunately, all that wonderful. [Sep 2014, p.116]

It's taut, slick and more transatlantic than its predecessor but they lose some of the quirks that gave their debut much of its charm. [Oct 2012, p.112]

A high-gloss, vocally gymnastic collection of '80s-referencing dance pop concerned with love and love gone wrong, can be a little full-on. [Aug 2009, p.107]