While predictable mall-rat anthems in praise of partying, one-night stands and nocturnal hi-jinks now come with a cathartic edge, their first album in almost a decade feels frustratingly shallow. [Aug 2012, p.104]

The desire to do something different is admirable, but the results are unfocused, like a collection of B-sides to singles that never existed. [Dec 2016, p.112]

To their credit, they've not taken the easy route by simply cutting the bombast and hoping for the best. [Jan 2017, p.112]

An album of tuneful but calculated pop-rock to be admired rather than loved.

Possessing neither Cuomo's melodic nous nor the self-absorbed misanthropy that makes Weezer's best work so compelling, Wilson's power-pop never exceeds cynical expectations. [Apr 2004, p.120]

A sterling showcase for Nelson's bluesier side ?

Some interesting musical touches and flashes of intelligence remain, but muddy mixing and one-paced production make this an overlong bore. [Nov 2002, p.114]

There are too many skits, but there's still more than enough fun to go round. [#180, p.108]

There's enough here to satisfy the faithful, if nothing to enlist new recruits. [Oct. 2010, p. 108]

The songs pound like jackhammers, there ate big choruses everywhere and mischief to spare. [Nov 2016, p.108]

A disappointment. [Nov 2004, p.124]

After a decade as pop's court jesters, Kaiser Chiefs have finally found their true voice. [May 2014, p.106]

The prepetually gruff Rule, a second division DMX or Redman, and producer Irv Gotti leave no cliche unturned. [Dec 2001, p.124]

Glitter continues her slump from gifted to grievous via gratuitous power ballads, dismal disco/R&B and criminal covers of '80s classics. [Oct 2001, p.117]

Essentially it's Ray Of Light without Madonna. [Mar 2006, p.108]

There is little else that stands out amid the polite noodling. [Mar 2008, p.104]

The Brummie veterans' 16th studio album is every bit as gloriously over-the-top and ludicrous as you might imagine. [Aug 2008, p.135]

It's not essential, but it is a sunny delight. [Oct 2009, p.117]

The lightness of touch is a pleasant surprise, but not as pleasant as the sound of summery Sumner re-engaging. [Nov 2009, p.101]

Their penchant for thuggish lyrics and thudding beats now sounds more monotonous than menacing. [Mar 2012, p.100]

Often, though, it's just a bit pompous and boring. [Apr 2013, p.94]

Reggae has always plundered country for songs of love and heartbreak. Though seldom with such limp indifference. [Sep 2013, p.109]

The parts here still speak louder than the whole. [Mar 2015, p.110]

Delta reveals layers few would have thought they had. Often though, these moments of interest get flattened by a wave of arena-ready bombast. [Jan 2019, p.108]

Another triumphant reaffirmation of UK dance music's mass appeal. [Jun 2014, p.120]

A fine album, offering quality tunes, if not clever punches. [May 2003, p.100]

Osborne still sings well, but, apart from the late swamp-dirty sequence of Baby Love, Hurricane and Poison Apples, deadly rock orthodoxy prevails.

While his taste is textbook classic, his arrangements are not. [May 2003, p.104]