The uninitiated may find the unrelenting nerve-soothing a little too much like anaesthesia. [May 2012, p.100]

There's nothing unlistenable... but nothing hugely inspiring, either. [Dec 2003, p.120]

An album that feels necessarily smaller than its predecessor. [Aug 2014, p.105]

Feels oddly half-baked. [Apr 2003, p.100]

They spend half their time griping that they haven't got girlfriends and the other half whining that they've just been dumped. [Apr 2006, p.114]

Talk Normal have made an album that's by turns thrilling, frustrating and annoying, often within the same song. [Feb 2013, p.111]

The problem is that when they do attempt something different [as on some parts of this album] things go horribly wrong. [May 2012, p.100]

Their combination of surreal lyrics and Krautrock now sounds pedestrian. [Oct 2008, p.142]

Sees him progressing further towards becoming a punked-up Bruce Springsteen. Trouble is, someone's got there already--his best mate, Ryan Adams. [Jul 2004, p.118]

Beautysleep veers from the exquisite (Keeping You) to the frustratingly bland (Moonbeam Monkey), with single The Storm the main highlight.

Disappointingly unremarkable. [Apr 2015, p.97]

Gossamer's a pleasant listen, but since when has that been enough? [Aug 2012, p.108]

The Meadowlands represents an impressive triumph of persistence over talent. [Oct 2005, p.121]

[It] is a lusher and less challenging listen than recent efforts, but it's also curiously featureless, the sound of a group drained of passion and fresh ideas. [Jun 2006, p.118]

Alas, the only memorable moment is a cover of Fang's Money Will Roll Right In. [May 2007, p.129]

It's all very valve, very analogue, and Kongos' morality feel equally antiquated. [Oct 2014, p.113]

59:59 wanders prettily yet aimlessly through the atmospheric post-rock undergrowth. [June 2008, p.149]

Devoid of the chest-thumping drama of the real thing, this sprinkling of tracks, largely taken from Second Toughest In The Infants and its follow-up Beaucoup Fish sound curiously neutered.... Hugely disappointing.

Impenetrable in the extreme. [Apr 2005, p.118]

While his big, piano-led MOR tunes are launched from a good place, they land in a fairly awful one. [Apr 2009, p.105]

William's slick pop-R&B effectively smothers Snoop's signature drawl. [Jul 2015, p.113]

For the most part Christ Illusion is flabby and arthritic. [Oct 2006, p.126]

It's always catchy, but all 20 tracks are so short everything feels throwaway, and the free-association lyrics go from amusing to aggravating in an instant. [Apr 2008, p.107]

It's an oppressive brew of heavy rock with pounding Kasabian beats, but Harvey, sounding agitated throughout, makes heavy weather out of it. [July 2008, p.108]

It may not be an unpleasant listen, but it's a strangely soulless one. [Aug 2009, p.101]

It's hard to listen to this deeply disappointing record for long without wanting to revisit Vertigo instead.

Fine for the dancefloor, less so the sofa. [Dec 2002, p.112]

The album's not without its moments--most notably the sense of urgency propelling recent single Have Faith. But too much sounds bloodless. [Jan 2017, p.111]