Intricate guitar lines twine tightly and Josh Block's hyperactive drumming keeps the whole rickety enterprise a hair's breadth shy of total collapse. [Jul 2011, p.121]

Twenty-two tracks long, Total is an eclectic joyride through myriad musical styles; the beauty being that none sticks around long enough to get boring. [Jul 2011, p.119]

His second solo effort succeeds largely because its titular novelty never overshadows the bittersweet folk vignettes, driven by his affecting baritone. [Jul 2011, p.119]

Their Macabre storytelling and aura of imminent violence lend themselves well to Twitch's vintage synths, and suspenseful effects. [Jul 2011, p.119]

Their debut is a giant leap in the right direction. [Jul 2011, p.118]

Unsurprisingly, this posthumous album doesn't reach such heights [as a973's Solid Air], and comes with a little too much overlong, incoherent blues whimsy. [Jul 2011, p.114]

The language barrier may prove too much for English-speakers, but the typically sunny, genre-blending production from world-pop maven Manu Chao should win them a place on the summer festival circuit. [Jul 2011, p.111]

Their music now comes wrapped in gauzy textures more reminiscent of local hero Toro Y Moi. [Jul 2011, p.111]

They've lost some of their endearing quirks en route, the songs often slipping into a tuneless mess reminiscent of early-'90s experimentalists Truman's Water at their most challenging. [Jul 2011, p.111]

It's heavy-hitting, but the price paid is the loss of the subtle details that made them unique. [Jul 2011, p.111]

Hexes and such may be the stuff of teenaged girls' diary fantasies, but it's not hard to fall under The Pierces' spell. [Jun 2011, p.120]

Gorgeous, sun-dappled sounds from San Francisco. [July 2011, p. 121]

Tom Vek's charm has lost its spark. [July 2011, p. 121]

Charming but once-paced opener from Denver couple. [July 2011, p. 120]

Speed Of Darkness dishes up more of the same. [July 2011, p. 120]

Monstrously heavy, full of tense, nervous energy. [July 2011, p. 120]

The Felice Brothers return bigger, better and full of surprises on their fourth UK release. [July 2011, p. 120]

While The Double Cross is diverting enough, it is far from essential. [July 2011, p. 119]

Brains and beauty come from the Chicagoan cult-rockers. [July 2011, p. 119]

Sixth album by the artist who won MOJO's Best Breakthrough Act award 2007, aged 66. [July 2011, p. 100]

Disappointing return from orchestral indie types. [July 2011, p. 117]

Despite it's title and Young's Ben Folds-esque vocals, All Things Bright and Beautiful keeps its beliefs at a distance for the most part. [July 2011, p. 117]

She sounds more engaged than she has in years. Not the disgrace it could have been. [July 2011, p. 117]

It's magical stuff. [July 2011, p. 116]

He'll never repeat Play's monumental success, of course, but he's building a might back catalogue. [July 2011, p. 116]

Toronto six-piece deliver a killer concept album. [July 2011, p. 113]

The yearning fluidity of the vocals is checked, unfortunately by guitars that fail to detonate. [Jun 2011, p.114]

Undoubtedly ambitious, drawing on soul, jazz and squalling rock, the best moments keep the focus on Monche's own voice, with Shine's radical poetry reminiscent of veteran firebrands The Last Poets. [May 2011, p.112]