Smith's lyrical flights of fancy come off somewhat top-heavy, but by and large such bookish pretentions feel like something to appreciate, not castigate. [Mar 2014, p.79]

Bold, visionary and, in places, spine-tingling. [Mar 2014, p.78]

McGuire's experiments with more conventional structures and arrangements don't always come off--the chuntering drum machines can makes things feel a little brisk and muzaky--but when he hits the spot, track titles like "In Search Of The Miraculous" don't seem too far-fetched. [Mar 2014, p.78]

Katy B weaves various threads of London clubland into glittering pop flax, and this second LP is a triumphant consolidation of her position as the voice of nocturnal youth. [Mar 2014, p.78]

A substantial return to form. [Mar 2014, p.73]

The first half of Mind Trap is dedicated to a sort of naifish folk-rock, flirting with the banal but occasionally happening on moments of quiet loveliness. [Mar 2014, p.73]

There remains a belligerent subtext to his nostalgic fantasias. [Mar 2014, p.73]

While the familiar swagger is present and correct both in the Bowie-influenced "Spiderhead" and the crackling "It's Just Forever," these moments are leavened by quieter, more reflective tracks such as "Hypocrite." [Mar 2014, p.72]

[The] mostly instrumental pieces point up the rich musical subtleties and contemplative mellowness of the originals. [Mar 2014, p.72]

Their slick, mirthless approach and Roman Rappak's self-satisfied delivery threaten to turn Breton into Topman art-rock mannequins in the mould of Everything Everything and Alt-J. [Mar 2014, p.72]

[The album] fires out volleys of convincing Metalheadz-style jungle breakbeats, embedded in brooding sound collages apparently influenced by Jonny Greenwood's score for There Will Be Blood. [Mar 2014, p.71]

A brooding, impressive return. [Mar 2014, p.71]

Ultimately you're left frustrated by the safety first approach. [Mar 2014, p.71]

Her weakness is the occasional lapse into 12-step blandness on the big--and rather underwritten--choruses. [Mar 2014, p.69]

Benji is brutally sad, which may prove a deal-breaker for anyone who appreciated the comparatively light Among the Leaves, but it never feels gratuitous or exploitative. [Mar 2014, p.84]

[The interviews with dock workers, WWII veterans and itinerants whose stories inspired nine of the 12 songs make] little material difference to his music. [Feb 2014, p.77]

The mood is melancholy, the voice crystal clear, the folk-based songs deadly direct. [Feb 2014, p.78]

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

The duo's sophisticated feel fro arrangement, the primary point of interest, is on display throughout. [Feb 2014, p.71]

There's lots to admire in this wry, beautifully finger-picked set. [Feb 2014, p.71]

Singer Ciaran McAuley's words get lost in the dry ice a little, but a sense of quasi-religious wonder prevails. [Feb 2014, p.80]

Rather than the '80s rock Oh Yes I Can or the guest-strewn covers of 1993's Thousand Roads, this frequently lovely, folky album instead recalls the ease and space of that debut [1971's If Only I Could Remember My Name]. [Feb 2014, p.73]

Little is overstated, but Low fans will find much to love in "New Lights For A Sky." [Feb 2014, p.80]

A great leap backwards. [Feb 2014, p.80]

Inscrutable, unsettling and utterly unique. [Feb 2014, p.69]

The lack of outside input and studio polish only intensifies the trip. [Feb 2014, p.73]

The London quartet signpost the album with handsome literary and academic allusions in anticipation of an edifying dance direction, but end up trotting out the kind of meek synthfunk once propagated by the likes of Hot Chip and Metronomy. [Feb 2014, p.73]

It's a mysterious affair, but never obscure. [Feb 2014, p.68]