While skillfully executed--some songs, notably 'Murderer,' definitely have legs--the whole never rises far above a clever exercise in technique. [Apr 2009, p.105]

While no disaster, the enterprise does smack of Vonda Shepard's coffee shop warbling. [Jan 2003, p.121]

Eventually, though, the guitar-and-piano-only, stripped-down dynamics mean that a dull torpor settles over the album.

You get the feeling even the band think the joke's wearing a bit thin. [Jan 2019, p.106]

It's less primal scream, more yawn. [Nov 2012, p.112]

Campbell's voice seems to have been recorded in a lift shaft, rendering her too murky. [Dec 2006, p.133]

With stylistic echoes of The Kinks, Pixies and non-dancing Stones roses, the songs' themes of social isolation, romantic frustration and other junior Dylan-isms suggest a talent yet to mature. [Feb 2009, p.113]

At its best... Rules of Travel is deft adult pop; at worst... it's like Steel Magnolias scored by glib sessioneers. [May 2003, p.100]

All the chest-thumping overwhelms the more interesting diversions. [Jun 2015, p.112]

How To Be A Human Being shows a band who know how to Frankenstein a song together, but can't bring it to life. [Nov 2016, p.107]

Unfortunately the stamina isn't there and other tracks hold all the surprise of a Kate Hudson rom-com. [Oct 2012, p.95]

Actual thrills are in short supply. [Dec 2019, p.114]

I-Empire is so in thrall to Edge's guitar sound circa 1984 it could almost be the work of a /u2 tribute band. [Dec 2007, p.112]

The album finds them hamming up their debauched image to the point of self-parody. [Oct 2008, p.149]

The suspicion is that, in parts at least, No World was more satisfying to make than it is to listen to. [Mar 2013, p.104]

The results, while respectfully chocolate box pretty, make Enya seem like a bomb-making radical. [Nov 2002, p.109]

While his fourth album shows he has learnt his way around a reasonable tune - opener Back To The Wild has a distinctive grace - his lyrics can descend into trite cliche or inane observation ("Time it goes on/Life it goes by", "you'd love to pretend you were right/But you're wrong") [Feb 2010, p. 108]

The results, although respectable, were never going to ignite anything like their former glories.

In a world where Interpol already exist, it's hard to get too excited about the twitchy Anglophilia here. [Dec 2004, p.136]

The abundance of weird instrumentals and scattershot doodles suggest that quality control remains an alien concept. [Mar 2006, p.108]

Halfway through, though, Gonzalez's self-indulgence gets the better of him and you're left with half-baked ideas and little else. [June 2008, p.145]

Neil Young sounds like he's up on bricks with his exhaust pipe hanging off. [May 2009, p.106]

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]

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

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

The Devil's Rain is very silly indeed. [Dec. 2011 p. 136]

Groove Armada continue to have mislaid that sparkledust. [Dec 2002, p.105]

One very minimal idea being stretched over 11 songs to the point that it starts to look very washed-out indeed.