Their latest Grand Guignol is a more direct and, dare we say it, tuneful affair than previous offerings, though Fantasia still hits you like a slab of concrete. [Jul 2026, p.103]

The hour-long set veers from the 13-minute Countermovement to several three-minute single-like tracks such as the guitar-driven romp All Hands On Deck. [Jul 2026, p.103]

The full 22-track version (31 on digital) is notable mostly for the curio of four ragged, very early songs featuring future actor Rhys Ifans on vocals, with the rest balanced between the worthwhile and the completist. [Apr 2026, p.100]

It does the job in just over 25 minutes, ending on an oddity, the off-kilter jazz of Happy Families channeling Tom Waits. [Apr 2026, p.107]

Sutherland's fourth album of dependably solid Americana leaves its biggest impressions when the self-penned songs take on dramatic tones. [Jun 2026, p.103]

If these nine ‘new’ songs plus a remake are to be the last of Neil’s stellar career, their release is justified. [Jun 2026, p.91]

Poppier but also more mature than before, Marmozets execute their frenetic, catchy punk with gusto and aplomb. [Jun 2026, p.102]

Sometimes the album sparks the alt-country life as with the guitar crackle of Fish Sticks; sometimes it resembles incidents asides between buddies, as on the title-track. [Jun 2026, p.102]

The opening, high-octane title track gives way to more ruminative pieces. [May 2026, p.90]

While Andrews eventually got back on track while sifting through the music and adding lyrics, that initial uncertainty lingers throughout the album. [Jun 2026, p.101]

While Vernon's use of autotune is excessive at times, his stripped-down cover of Mahalia Jackson's A Satisfied Mind reminds us that it can be a compelling stylistic choice. [Jun 2026, p.101]

There are moments of inspiration, such as the alacritous and emphatic I'm On Fire featuring Caveman, but too often it feels committee-led, with potential hits trumping soulfulness. [May 2026, p.101]

As If You're Here has a sunny, surging drive-time glint to it too, but a little too much of Romanticize... is all clinical chill and no thrill. [May 2026, p.103]

It's not as immediately brilliant as its predecessor, but still possessing some fine moments. [May 2026, p.101]

This is over-produced and underachieving, [May 2026, p.103]

There are flashes of their old brilliance. [May 2026, p.101]

This fine album is further evidence of the innovative artistry of contemporary folk-related performers. [May 2026, p.101]

Butler's increasingly woodsy timbre serves People Move On nicely. It's not as stirring, with Butler's intimate tilt at post-Suede liberation anthem Not Alone losing the original's euphoric flush, though the trio's euphonious harmonies prove reliable - if occasionally drowsy - elsewhere. [Apr 2026, p.105]

There are numerous examples of predictable usual suspects (the fuzzy goth of The Cure's Primary, a trippy twist on The Cramps' Goo Goo Muck), but deeper riches are found in what, on the surface, might be seen as curveball choices. [Apr 2026, p.105]

A woozy, jazzy soundscape. [Apr 2026, p.98]

While the sharp electric riffs pair neatly with the existential themes of the 26-year-old's lyrics on Agony Freak, its sounds are a little generic in the realm of contemporary indie-rock. Jordan does much better with the warm, Sundays-inspired jangle chords in Tractor Beam and my Maker, the album's high points. [Apr 2026, p.109]

This is a reasonably entertaining album. [Apr 2026, p.106]

It feels almost improvised half the time, but there's a quiet, escalating intrigue to their murmurings. [Mar 2026, p.105]

Sometimes predictably frustrating, sometimes pleasingly fresh, Make-up Is A Lie is a reminder that Morrissey probably couldn’t stop at this stage of the game, much less change. [Mar 2026, p.100]

It's the polar opposite of Moby's early hardcore punk and dancefloor output, so go elsewhere if that's your preference. [Mar 2026, p.104]

The music is at its most interesting when it veers off at a tangent - the snappy organ fuelled Social Climbing Scene and the loping gait of the title track. [Mar 2026, p.104]

They whack the volume up to 11 million, and warp familiar songs with a blend of manic posturing and slick postering. [Mar 2026, p.105]

These are assured, solid songs by very good musicians, albeit lacking a killer punch or any wild, barrier-pushing inspiration. [Feb 2025, p.102]