Squally closer 'The Dome' aside, he has a surprisingly light voice and--especially on the straight country of 'Doreen' and poppy 'The Banquet Styx'--a deft musical touch. [Oct 2008, p.152]

It's intimate, folkie, more Anglo than Mojave 3, not at all Slowdivey. [Dec 2008, p.108]

This eccentric experiment from indie-dance pioneer Steve Mason sees him embracing the '80s with fervour. [Aug 2008, p.132]

The gamble has paid off in a sometimes challenging but constantly rewarding musical odyssey. [July 2008, p.96]

Foward Russia! drop the post punk sound and art-school posing in favour of an emo reinvention.... It works best when they don't overcook it. [May 2008, p.134]

The truth is that Youngblood writes terrific, instantly memorable pop songs, their fashionable new-wave cool rubbing against an urgent, almost disco undertow. [Aug 2008, p.141]

There's no denying that CSS have grown in songwriting flair and musical sophistication. Unfortunately, this seems to have come at the expense of raw energy and quirky character. [Aug 2008, p.133]

Harmless fluff. [Nov 2008, p.114]

Something... is sumptuously produced art-rock, heavily influenced by Sonic Youth and Dinosaur, Jr., but presented with a fresh-faced optimism. [Sep 2008, p.141

There is the sense that with 25 tracks on offer here Hughes is spreading himself slightly too thinly. [Jan 2009, p.118]

Beautiful Future isn't quite as onsistent as it could be. [Aug 2008, p.138]

Stay Positive isn't so much of an instant gratification, but a record that reveals more with each listen. [Aug 2008, p.131]

Pleasingly, this is the Wire's best new music since their glory days in the late '70s. [Aug 2008, p.145]

As the title implies, it tackles the big issues, sometimes at the expense of melody, but there's a handful of very fine songs here. [Nov 2008, p.118]

At times, they still stray into Nirvana territory, particularly on 'Braindead,' but they do so with enough brio to get away with it. [Nov 2008, p.123]

The slacker boy wonder has grown up to be a man on a new mission. [Aug 2008, p.134]

It builds upn the spirit that made his debut, "Yours To Keep," so warm. [Aug 2008, p.136]

This good-humoured set is sometimes a little too comfortable, but it's hard to gripe when they play Hoagy Carmichael songs 'Stardust' and 'Georgia On My Mind.' [Aug 2008, p.140]

The disco squelch and vocoder melodies of Falcon Jab recall Discovery-era Daft Punk, but what gives this an extra dimension and warmth is Stroud's guitar playing. [Aug 2008, p.140]

Sure, there's a little too much filler, but this is pleasingly radio-unfriendly fare. [Aug 2008, p.140]

A draining, rewarding journey. [Aug 2008, p.143]

Former Simian singer Simon Lord and Wiseguys mainman Theo Keating fail to do justice to the idea. [Aug 2008, p.132]

Coppola resurrects her pop carrer as Little Jackie alongside DJ/Producer Adam Pallin, who adds hip-hop beats and faux-motown gloss to her R&B tunes. [Oct 2008, p.147]

There are one too many nondescript instrumentals. [Aug 2008, p.139]

Knapp can be as shrewdly sweet as Paul Simon or as drippy as a Sarah Records house band, dissecting heartache in teen-diary fashion--but the music is consistently grown up. [Dec 2008, p.108]

Matt Skiba's bitter lyrics still have an impressive sting, and with My Chemical Romance on hiatus, his misanthropy may yet secure a broader audience. [Aug 2008, p.135]

Taking into account the great things expected of those once promising likely lads, Romance At Short Notice offers only more disappointment. [Aug 2008, p.144]

Hercules And Love Affair are at their best when they cut loose and damn the consequences. [Apr 2008, p.110]