This is still a very heavy rock record, but it slithers with a degree of grace that had been missing in the past. [Nov 2015, p.65]

Its 10 minimalist songs mine a vein of laconic broodiness. [Apr 2003, p.110]

They may have opened out their map a little more for Medicine At Midnight, but the Foos' territory remains reassuringly familiar. [Mar 2021, p.38]

Other tracks hide catchier tunes amid the quagmire of guitar. [Mar 2012, p.79]

They sound reinvigorated, if somewhat aimless. [Nov 2016, p.40]

Probably the closest anyone has come to capturing the 40-year-old virgin spirit of the seminal Modern Lovers album. [Mar 2015, p.84]

There are proficient pastiches...[and] there are plenty of chugging, 6/8 neo-soul ballads. [Sep 2012, p.79]

The period pieces--string-laden ballads by Ella Fitzgerald, Helen Forrest and Jo Stafford-provide some light relief, as does the Art Ensemble Of Chicago-style junkyard jazz of Greenwood's "Able-Bodied Seaman." [Dec 2012, p.72]

There are plenty of deft touches but it's perhaps too knowing to truly connect, to sketchy to reward deep listening. [Jul 2014, p.80]

Greys are able to take these influences forward on tracks like "Cold Soak" and "Guy Picciotto," which seethe, howl and rock, combining the energy of hardcore with some of the more abstract sounds found in contemporary noise rock. [Jul 2014, p.74]

Atmospheric, heart-rendering and infused with myriad old souls, Imaginary Man is a richly dramatic, poignant singer-songwriter opus. [Sep 2015, p.71]

A seductive mix of pastoral folk, motorik beats, psychedelic ragas and gnarly '70s rock, transposed to the Japanese landscape. [Jun 2016, p.74]

The follow-up is a considerable upgrade. [Jan 2017, p.23]

The twin voices of Jonsi and Andersen make for an eerie contrast at times, with "Stendur aeva" a ravishing, multi-faceted highlight. [Feb 2021, p.35]

Skinner's brightest, punchiest and most eclectic in memory. It's a welcome return. [Dec 2023, p.36]

The result sits somewhere between Mazzy Star and Broadcast, exploring a liminal space between the more propulsive moments of the album. [Apr 2024, p.41]

Beneath the cheery chug and carnival-like fizz beats a sombre heart. [Oct 2006, p.117]

There's a loose lyrical theme of branding and consumer culture inspiring the maverick meta-pop of "Personal Shopper." ... The Sparks-y spriteliness of "Follower" also stands out, thanks to beautifully falsetto-iced vocal hooks, which further grace the gorgeously forlorn synth-pop of "King Ghost." [Feb 2021, p.37]

Most of the artists here, among them Moby, Miike Snow and Cibo Matto, find rich source material at the melodic end of her catalogue. [Mar 2016, p.77]

Texturally, the mood is one of warm, sensual dreaminess, of hushed vocals and woozy analogue synth. Prins Thomas isn't, though, wanting of strong grooves. [May 2010, p.102]

The veteran New York trio draws from synth-pop, to pomp rock, yet somehow turns the wildly disparate source material into a coherent album that doubles as a tribute to their own roots in The Byrds and Big Star. [May 2010, p.99]

A softly glowing and unerstated album. [May 2006, p.98]

The Flaming Lips remain masters at creating an irresistible sense of sheer awestruck wonder that demands its own emotional reaction from the listener. [Aug 2019, p.24]

Reprieve is probably the easiest album to listen to that she's ever made. [Oct 2006, p.104]

While the duo's tempo remains measured and its atmosphere is typically grand, thanks to a 40-piece orchestra, Iris puts more emphasis on modular synths. [Feb 2017, p.38]

Danilova's vocals have a cadence that hovers between uplifting and exhaustingly overwrought, but fans at least will love these vivid, live-feeling renditions. [Sep 2013, p.97]

The 14th installment of influential Cologne label Kompakt's superlative Pop Ambient series provides plenty of surprises. [Feb 2014, p.83]

In 39 tracks over two CDs, the punk-fuelled folk-rock group that had ruled the ’80s along with U2 magically reappears.