The result is low-key and likeable. [Dec 2025, p.101]

A fun, compelling caricature of 80s heavy rock which will be enjoyed by those whose favourite version of Iron Maiden is when they really go overboard. [Dec 2025, p.101]

Opening track Woman IS The N***** Of The World has been quietly omitted, which will probably enrage Lennon completists, surely the set's biggest buyers. [Dec 2025, p.91]

Through The Open Window has, by necessity, a limited aperture – those inclined to do so will argue passionately over the merits of this take or that performance, officially or unofficially sourced, in forums where such discussions can be a bloodsport – but it nonetheless offers an expansive view of the many sides of Bob Dylan. [Dec 2025, p.93]

And Your Song Is Like A Circle may not be overly diverse in its palette, but as every track flows gracefully into the next, listeners might just appreciate that fact. [Dec 2025, p.103]

Most of these instrumentals packs a punch, and in a variety of different ways. For the most part, crucially, it sounds as though the musicians are enjoying themselves. [Dec 2025, p.103]

At times, Katie Ball's high-pitched vocals bring a somewhat incongruous phantasmagorical element. But they bring the tunes, too. [Dec 2025, p.101]

This 14th offering is less reunion comeback, more business as usual. It's an album which follows a similar blueprint to most of their others. [Dec 2025, p.101]

Their innate feel for a hit pop chorus is deployed to best effect on Dearest Amygdala and the soaring It's Chemical!. [Dec 2025, p.100]

Although Holy Visions teeters on the wrong edge of mope-rock melodrama, it's an exception; otherwise, Silver Bleeds The Black Sun is a black-clad, clove-smoking triumph. [Dec 2025, p.100]

The ghost Nation majors in slow-burn melodies that soar serenely, with nothing edging excessively over the seven-minute mark and the band maintaining a majestically unhurried pace. [Dec 2025, p.100]

The four-piece have expanded their sound with synth loops and a cleaner production. [Dec 2025, p.100]

There are elements of grunge on Deep End and curtain-raising single, albeit with a keen ear for melody that suggests Dando's pop sensibilities are as strong as ever. [Nov 2025, p.104]

But whether or not Tower Block In A Jam Jar changes his fortunes to any great degree, as an introduction to Lawrence’s singularly weird and wonderful world, it’s an ideal place to start. [Nov 2025, p.100]

Nobody particularly wants the descriptor "mature" to be slapped on their work, but it applies perfectly here. [Nov 2025, p.102]

Meshell Ndegeocello contributes electric bass and vocals on the track Maxim. [Nov 2025, p.92]

Emma Pollock’s fourth – and finest – solo set navigates studies of ageing, loss, relationships and her autism diagnosis, all with a nimble poeticism to counterpoint seemingly weighty material. [Nov 2025, p.105]

Between the framing piano passages of Pills And People Gone and Distant Symphony, an edge of techno-paranoia permeates the lyrics, especially the title track and the strident False Economy, and there are fierce club beats to match their best, not least on Run Free. [Nov 2025, p.105]

Insanely rich with ideas, hooks, smart artifice and real emotion, From The Pyre is a feast of giddy raptures. [Nov 2025, p.102]

Led by Paul Janeway's dramatic vocals, the Birmingham band's material is more hook-laden, partly due to their collaboration with Eg White. [Nov 2025, p.105]

In the extensive sleeve notes, Gedge, with music writer Mark Beaumont, offers valuable insight into the songs that made the cut. [Nov 2025, p.98]

It's not that the music is especially innovative, but songs such as Darkness Always Wins and Like A Woman Can sound highly compelling, thanks in part to frontwoman Lzzy (sic) Hale's commanding presence. [Nov 2025, p.96]

It's an edgy, sometimes brilliant, jazz-meets-art-rock mash-up. [Nov 2025, p.92]

Here they come full circle, embracing the very essence of their classic ambient dub masterpiece Adventures Beyond The Ultraworld. Moreover, there's a return to the dancefloor of the early nineties. [Nov 2025, p.104]

A country classic (yet tempting for rock fans, too) made up of leftovers that would have been career greats for so many artists. [Nov 2025, p.97]

Poised and exquisitely crafted, Blight's mediations on the effects of human actions are delivered with a gentle sincerity that disarms cynicism. [Nov 2025, p.102]

This is a no-quibble five-star release and truly essential listening. [Oct 2025, p.120]

John Congleton's production energises the festival-ready ructions of Cowards Around, though the indifferent arrangements of Quiet Life and Nothing Better struggle to distinguish Shame's snapshots of suburban frustration. [Oct 2025, p.133]