At times it can feel a little lightweight. [Sep 2016, p.106]

This is ambitious, outward-looking pop unafraid to play by its own rules. [Aug 2016, p.102]

Boy King is an album that exudes confidence to try new things, to experiment, to pull things apart and pull them back together again. [Sep 2016, p.100]

The irrepressible bounce of these tracks outweigh the poignancy, though. Viola Beach have a debut their families can be proud of. [Sep 2016, p.114]

More of the same firework riffs and vexed vocals. [Sep 2016, p.102]

For the most part, though, this record is defined by its vibrancy, especially with bassist Lou Barlow's melodic vocal contributions to Love IS... and Left/Right. [Aug 2016, p.110]

California Hymn pulls something out of the hat at the end, but Anyway.... is so addled and confused it will likely be in the bin long before then. A real shocker. [Sep 2016, p.111]

It's a record delivered with real verve and attack. [Sep 2016, p.111]

Beck thrills tot he max--and Loud Hailer hits career peaks of tough, funky belligerence. [Sep 2016, p.102]

Sprawling, ambitious and politically conscious. [Sep 2016, p.102]

A solid comeback, then. [Sep 2016, p.105]

A polished album that rewards repeated listens. [Sep 2016, p.107]

Bursts of corrosive techno that have all the instrumental variety of a car alarm. [Sep 2016, p.108]

Theyesandeye articulates a positive, only slightly idealised ecosphere of the sea, birds and vegetation. [Sep 2016, p.111]

[An] absorbing, multi-layered debut. [Sep 2016, p.112]

It's annoyingly catchy. [Sep 2016, p.113]

Different is Gender's newfound falsetto, but what Throws truly brims with is a freshly cleansed palate. [Sep 2016, p.113]

We're All Somebody does at times feel like three different albums simultaneously vying for supremacy, but, in an age of dwindling rock royalty, it makes a good case for Tyler's stack-heeled versatility. [Sep 2016, p.114]

On first listen, it's sufficiently preposterous to be amusing, but over time, predictably, becomes intrusive and annoying. [Sep 2016, p.114]

The intro to the title track points more toward Foreigner, an impression that continues on the album as dull keyboards fill the spaces once plugged by more interesting acoustic arrangements. [Aug 2016, p.108]

A white guy singing "de" instead "the" might reek uncomfortably of minstrelsy for some, but if you can get past that, any fan of Tom Waits or Dr. John ought to get a kick out of Gon' Boogaloo. Cracking. [Aug 2016, p.117]

Black Bubblegum has a more amiable feel, assembling DIY jams inspired by Afrobeat and reggae, not to mention the fringes of Animal Collective's back Catalogue and Texan outlier Sun Araw. [Aug 2016, p.110]

This is one of Biffy Clyro's best records yet. [Aug 2016, p.106]

A Circle Without Having To Curve is a billowing transmission from some gigantic sullen hulk. Elsewhere texture, hiss and layered voices head into abstraction, but if you think he's afraid of revealing himself, the voice and guitar reprise Contain (Cedar Version) ends the album with a sweet re-entry to the daylight. [Aug 2016, p.110]

Still Life rarely strays out of the comfort zone. [#361, p.117]

This is a set which pushes boundaries with a gripping sense of adventure. [Aug 2016, p.108]

Was [Nothing's Real] worth the wait? At points, yes. [Aug 2016, p.117]

The whole album flows like a rainbow-hued river animated by the spirit of generosity and wonder. [Aug 2016, p.116]