There are moments when the slick threatens to overwhelm the raw, and not just when extraneous elements are introduced. But the gut-level punch of Kerr's bass and the thunderstruck gallop of Thatcher's drumming cannot be denied. [Aug 2017, p.106]

Only a pair of horribly grafted on cameos from Iggy Pop and Elf Kid threatens to undo the good work. Otherwise, the charm offensive continues apace. [Aug 2017, p.108]

It's their artless harmonies and feel for rhythmic space that lift the songs to another level. [Aug 2017, p.107]

The familiarity of the material is offset by the uniqueness of the approach. [Aug 2017, p.104]

What results is almost a straight collection of intimate folk and pop. Like constant rainfall, though, his continued use of audio interference is the sonic frame that gives the songs their otherworldly depth and scope. [Aug 2017, p.103]

It's on the final track, Punch, however, that they reach a brand of strung-out, sun-soaked lamentation that feels entirely of their own making. If only there were a little bit more of that elsewhere. [Aug 2017, p.100]

While the music is mellow, his stories can be tricky. [Aug 2017, p.107]

It's pulled down by too many mid-paced ballads and inordinate length. [Aug 2017, p.104]

Moments of spine-tingling transcendence outweigh those of aimless noodling. [Aug 2017, p.110]

Sleeping Around The Corner is a finely calibrated update of their FM-rock blueprint, while Too Far Gone nods cheekily to Tango In The Night's Big Love. [Aug 2017, p.100]

A credible effort, then, but not so groundbreaking as to prompt deep re-evaluation of their place in the world. [Aug 2017, p.109]

The remaster reveals The Joshua Tree in all its sonic wonder, and its capturing-lightning-in-a-bottle imperfections, which makes it all the more real and riveting listening experience. ... Thirty years on, it's a complete picture of The Joshua Tree, past and present. [Jul 2017, p.116]

Older, possibly wiser, cleaner and sounding as majestically ramshackle as ever. The only snag is that their new album is a live recap of their career highlights with no new songs to justify it as a comeback. [Aug 2017, p.108]

City Music maps a landscape of uncertainty and wonder, Morby first steadying the wheel with his sure songwriting, then letting it spin. We've all been there, but not quite like this. [Aug 2017, p.111]

If Fake Sugar lands, the mainstream's in for a sweet treat. [Aug 2017, p.103]

Dalmais's new album arrives wrapped in conceptual packaging and plays beguiling tricks with her remarkable voice, at times airy, at others earthy. [Aug 2017, p.100]

An uneven but fitting swansong, then. [Aug 2017, p.100]

As the sound of a band revelling in what they do best, it makes for an album that's up there with their most purely enjoyable. [Aug 2017, p.105]

Occasionally Hawkline veers off the rails, but his overall cryptic psyche surrenders its charms easily. [Jul 2017, p.108]

Wilson's fragile vocals dominate, but her sidekicks add musical lightness. [Aug 2017, p.110]

Despite Styles' self-conscious references, his debut avoids indulgence. [Aug 2017, p.110]

It's a thrilling ride with an artist who keeps everyone on their toes. [Aug 2017, p.108]

It's a multilayered, detailed affair, which proves that 27 years after their debut, their edge is still keen. [Aug 2017, p.108]

Sometimes, these stresses and strains seem to swallow her dreamy synth-pop whole, but there's at least a striking EP's worth here. [Aug 2017, p.108]

While these 12 songs carry a lick of humour, there is a sublime tenderness here too. [Aug 2017, p.107]

It confirms that rarest of achievements: a group somehow hanging on to the essence who they are, while pushing their art into thrillingly unforeseen places. [Aug 2017, p.99]

Some workmanlike settings, but when the vocals spar and catch the tune just right, it all soars with a gospel-like wonder. [Aug 2017, p.100]

It can get a bit overly conceptual, but Gone Now is so irresistibly joyful that it can be forgiven. [Aug 2017, p.100]