Tigers... sees the brain of the Manics reunited with their strongest qualities: their heart, humanity and soul. [Jun 2007, p.102]

With Rough Carpenters, the pickers are deeply respectful of the revenant forms they're extending, but the music is never leaden. [Mar 2013, p.67]

A focus on electric violin adds a mildly jarring echo of Curved Air to the Canadians' seventh, but the apocalyptic "Austerity Blues" and wistful "Rains Thru The Roof At Thee Grande Ballroom" encompass their extremes of post-rock paranoia and Popol Vuh transcendence. [Mar 2014, p.83]

[Mettavolution] may not be quite so astral-minded or ambitious, the apr continue to impress with their ability to shift through a variety of Latin, folk and rock styles without ever taking the easy routes. [Jun 2019, p.34]

A muted set of spare acoustic songs. [Jun 2016, p.70]

Perry's cartoonish persona can grate, so it's refreshing to hear him speak from the heart on Rainford. [Jun 2019, p.32]

Ghostly, atmospheric, intense, Colt is an impressive, if somewhat remote, debut. [Jul 2018, p.37]

This is a bold and engaging revolution. [May 2012, p.75]

She sounds more lusty and confident on this sequel. [Jun 2012, p.83]

Wrangler's LA Spark is textbook industrial electropop--nothing wildly new but at its best on "Lava Land" and "Space Ace" it's a compelling listen. [Jun 2014, p.85]

The overall sense here is of old friends reunited, not taking themselves too seriously, still making a thrillingly ramshackle racket. [Sep 2025, p.37]

Not every track gels, but the duo's easy chemistry never feels like gimmicky contrivance. [Jul 2014, p.81]

While the full deluxe treatment might not life Don't Tell A Soul all the way to "lost classic" status, it at least fleshes out an underappreciated chapter of The Replacements' messy saga. [Nov 2019, p.42]

Jay-z attempts to balance his great wealth, tough history and news responsibility while retaining his grit. Magna Carta... generally pulls it off. [Sep 2013, p.90]

While nothing here quite matches the last album's majestically weary "Elevator Love Letter", Set Yourself On Fire is still quite sublime. [Sep 2005, p.104]

Bingham's steak-potatoes-and whiskey voice hardly makes for a smooth listen, but he pours plenty of passion and desperate visions into his ragged working-class grooves. [Oct 2012, p.73]

Dark cabaret with an unhinged, dervish energy. [Feb 2006, p.70]

The songs are largely Solomon accompanied only by a primitively strummed acoustic guitar, a sparse but effective backdrop to confessional odes about facing fears. [Jun 2026, p.34]

It's a most welcome trip back to what he does best. [Feb 2014, p.81]

Nelson sings like a canary and plays like a dream, Haggard growls like a grizzled jailbird, and everyone seems to be having a blast. [Jul 2015, p.72]

The sparse strum of "Easy For You To Say" eavesdrops on a troubled couple, a fear of romantic failure permeates the otherwise upbeat jangle of "Rose Town", and the country pop "When Will The Morning Cone" craves light at the end of a dark emotional tunnel. [Sep 2025, p.37]

Musically it's more grounded, though, if still diverse. [Nov 2020, p.27]

Another satisfyingly robust effort. [Review of the Year 2025, p.23]

Songs like "That Loneliness" can make Jagwar Ma sound a little clean-living, while the ingenuous "Let Her Go" simply bowls you over with sun-bleached pop-psych. [Sep 2013, p.90]

A mostly rich and involving experience. [Apr 2005, p.98]

There are enough familiar motifs to keep long-time fans happy. Lyrically, it's an endlessly pleasing melting pot. [Nov 2017, p.36]

Silent Alarm's innovation, sense of urgency and sleek production are enough to comfortably elevate Bloc Party above the post-punk rabble. [Mar 2005, p.106]

The lurching tempo shifts of opener "She Makes Me Real" set Masquerade's brooding, anxious mood. [Mar 2026, p.26]