There's little here that lingers. [Jun 2005, p.111]

The only life in these monochrome songs comes from some feedback on Lazy Rain and squalling jazz horns on Revanchism. [Oct 2001, p.130]

Much here amounts to solid AOR, by turns over-polished and underwhelming. [Oct 2017, p.103]

The Soft Bulletin echoes the oft-mimiced Smiley Smile by The Beach Boys, with its psychedelic wobbliness, songs-within-songs and airy termperament.

The dual-drumkit, tribal incantations and ominous drones have a pleasing menace but when you factor in the "concept"... patience starts to wane. [Mar 2006, p.111]

It's accomplished but hard to love, with many squawking digressions. [Jul 2012, p.97]

There is so little personality or variety that when Lornaderek turns out to be a 30-second birthday ansaphone message from his mum and dad, it is not a gimmick but a touching highlight.

Dulli sounds like he's performing at a Sunday pub gig. [Oct 2004, p.130]

The mid-paced mellowness is too omnipresent and stifling. [Oct 2012, p.97]

They've lost their way on the follow-up. [Jul 2012, p.97]

This Machine sounds more like an off-cuts collection than a comeback. [Jul 2012, p.98]

It is just that, a combination of converging influences, namely Evanescence and The Cranberries, their propensity for choral harmonies ratcheting up the twee factor exponentially. [Oct 2007, p.109]

Tulisa struggles to get to grips with the predictably generic R&B ballads, but when the pace is upped and she shouts along to Young and the feisty M.I.A.-lite Live It Up, the personality that has turned her into a phenomenon of out times transcends her obvious limitations. [Jan 2013, p.112]

Too much... is just art for art's sake. [Oct 2005, p.121]

The rumble of My God's bigger Than Your God offers some respite, but can't save a disappointing return. [Oct 2010, p.121]

No matter how much frenetic energy is exuded, Title TK fails to ignite The Breeders' former fire. [May 2002, p.108]

Nothing really stands out like the best thing here, Make The World Move, featuring fellow Voice Judge, Cee-Lo Green. [Jan 2013, p.101]

Tortoise-pace strumming and a crippling shortage of choruses produce only torpor. [Aug 2002, p.131]

The hushed mandolins of "Still Love You" nudge it toward Sufjan Stevens territory and "Wont's Lie" is a witty gothic waltz, but neither does enough to atone for the mawkish excesses eleswhere. [Apr 2010, p115]

Sounding rusty before even seeing daylight, Deep Down & Dirty is as enticing as those other averagely pleasant 1992 albums currently taking up valuable drawer-space in the back room.

The sugary 'Fever Dreams' and 'Little Bombs' sound threadbare, while glib homilies would shame the writers of Hallmark cards. [Dec 2007, p.115]

It's a salient reminder of the wafer-thin line between art and pretentious bollocks. [May 2004, p.108]

It's all terrifically boring, naturally, but her voice is exquisite. [Nov 2004, p.117]

His reluctance to engage, ego issues and occasional sexism speak of a vanity as large as any of the major-label players he opposes. [Nov 2004, p.117]

They tear through 14 tracks in a flicker over 37 minutes without ever going anywhere even vauely new. [Apr 2009, p.100]

Boomslang labours under the delusion that The Stone Roses' Second Coming was a good idea worth pursuing in greater detail. [Feb 2003, p.100]

At excessive volume, Payable On Death sounds like a state-of-the-art metal album, but there's a painful dearth of decent ideas. [Jan 2004, p.118]

Silent Cry replaces genuine poise with serviceable pose. [July 2008, p.104]