There is a uniform strength to its material... Wrecking Ball doesn't have a dud. [April 2012, p.92]

This mix of fearlessness, craft and believability is irresistible. [April 2012, p.90]

There's no faulting the brilliant playing, but by restricting themselves to exploring a fairly unevolved musical form they forever repeat its limitations. [April 2012, p.90]

It retains the same soft, celestial charm that has lit up the songwriter's earlier releases, merging classical strings, gentle guitars and subtle electronics. [April 2012, p.90]

Elegant strings and bass, recorded by pianist and composer Hauschka, creep like ivy around this all-consuming debut. [April 2012, p.90]

Their rough edged-folk has been planed a little smoother, and a breakthrough seems feasible. [April 2012, p.90]

Hypnotic electronic grooves. [April 2012, p.90]

Having been criticized for lacking emotional resonance with his lyrics, Bird addresses the problem [here]. Worth the wait. [April 2012, p.90]

[An] accomplished work of depth and distinction. [April 2012, p.88]

A Victim Of Stars is the ideal primer to an almost three-decade solo career, with the bait of one impeccable new track. [Mar 2012, p.117]

It bristles with roaring guitars and the whiskey-guzzling howl of Ben Ward. [Mar 2012, p.105]

Their debut drips confidence, Mary's glass-shattering whoops and wordless exhortations on Long Highway and Try Colour set against the sort of brooding, stadium rock riffs even the Edge hasn't dared use since The Joshua Tree. [April 2012, p.98]

Derivative, but there's artistry and some rattling tunes among the noise and confusion. [March 2012, p.112]

Simultaneously melancholy and charming.[March 2012, p.112]

The lean on their punk metal roots as rawness and straightforward riffing dominate in an album that, despite missing Keenan, does recall their early-'80s heft. [Mar 2012, p.105]

They try full blown techno, then revert to indie dance type, suggesting they are still too esoteric to cross over, but, even so, this record widen their appeal. [Feb 2012, p.111]

Utilitarian is hardly an artistic leap yet is indisputably still Napalm Death. [Mar 2012, p.105]

Far from being aural wallpaper, this is ambient music that's both engaging and engrossing. [Mar 2012, p.112]

The instrumentals can feel sketchy, but the vocal tracks shine. [Mar 2012, p.106]

Tauter, tighter and leaner, it's at its best when epic choruses collide with soaring guitars. [Mar 2012, p.105]

Andrea Ferro's growls and Cristina Scabbia's soaring melodies just about rescues this from sounding as dated as its influences. [Feb 2012, p.107]

It's quite brilliant. [Jan 2012, p.124]

The sequel gets off to a spotty start with lightweight songwriting and dated production....The '00 material, however, represents a creative revival. [Mar 2012, p.117]

What this collection leaves you wanting--and what Goldfrapp do most wonderfully--is weirdness. [Mar 2012, p.116]

The harmonies never reach the heights of say, Toro Y Moi--though Night In The Ocean's fusion of hip-hop thud and buzzing shoegaze guitars shows a welcome willingness to try. [Mar 2012, p.113]

An arresting record for challenging times. [Mar 2012, p.113]

[Producer Andrew Weatherall] helped bring out a kind of claustrophobic, harmonic distortion. [Mar 2012, p.113]

The sheer volume of ideas bustles everything along. [Mar 2012, p.113]