A return with soul and fire. [Oct 2013, p.110]

Throughout, chunks of ska and pop ensure an absurdly cheerful atmosphere. [Oct 2013, p.110]

[Placebo is now] sounding modern and sneakingly world-beating. [Oct 2013, p.109]

Not exactly immediate, definitely rewarding. [Oct 2013, p.109]

Onwards and upwards. [Oct 2013, p.109]

All told, a sunny delight. [Oct 2013, p.107]

There's still the odd detour into eerie atmospherics, but essentially this is electronica for people who fine The Knife hard going, with recent Kylie collaboration, Whistle, providing a final dusting of pop sugar. [Oct 2013, p.106]

Her latest album is a little more conventional but no less arresting. [Oct 2013, p.99]

Five years away hasn't damaged their ability to wow and Hesitation Marks puts Trent Reznor's soundtrack albums into context; here, he sounds at his very best and right where he belongs. [Oct 2013, p.108]

These ever-changing moods don't make MGMT an easy listen. [Oct 2013, p.105]

This restless duo have never sounded so much like themselves, and the result is spellbinding. [Oct 2013, p.107]

It's a hit-and-miss affair. [Oct 2013, p.105]

Rather than radical reimaginations, Lanegan serves up tweaked arrangements within the original frameworks. [Oct 2013, p.105]

Though a little limited on variation, 6 Feet Beneath The Moon's careful balance between comedown cook and genuine emotion suggests a new king for both club kids and guitar vets has (finally) arisen. [Oct 2013, p.105]

Occasionally frustrating and sometimes even a little soapy, Mechanical Bull has its flaws, but it also brims with personality and passion. [Oct 2013, p.104]

It's this ease of expression, both lyrically and musically, that makes Rewind The Film such a captivating listen. [Oct 2013, p.101]

Days Are Gone is a pretty impregnable collection of songs, their alloy of golden Fleetwood Mac melodies and liquid R&B polished to a reflective shine. [Oct 2013, p.103]

Their second album brims with crunching guitars, subtle stabs of synth and--more importantly--a winning line in big, anthemic choruses. [Oct 2013, p.102]

An adult in every sense, Goodie Mob are clearly now fully-grown. [Oct 2013, p.102]

It remains to be seen, though, whether the record-buying public are prepared to give Glasvegas another go, but on this evidence they should. [Oct 2013, p.102]

Warm and addictive. [Oct 2013, p.112]

Heavy, punishing and dense groove metal that never quite manages to be memorable. [Oct 2013, p.102]

Impressive but so unblinkingly stern. [Oct 2013, p.101]

AM continues a pattern, then: every couple of years, the Monkeys make a great album, sounding tighter and more telepathic with each release. [Oct 2013, p.97]

At times, the album merely provides a straight-arrow version of more twisted talents. [Jan 2014, p.124]

Their fifth album together since 2002 maintains an astonishing standard comparable even to that of original legends like Aretha Franklin and Otis Redding. [Jan 2014, p.122]

What a wild trip. [Jan 2014, p.133]

This is the rarity of a hits collection from a band still at the top of their game. There's plenty more to come. [Jan 2014, p.131]