Cuts deeper and sharper than previous Decemberists efforts. [Sep 2005, p.116]

[A] fruitless bid to affect euphoria. [Apr 2005, p.97]

Bright, luscious and languid. [Apr 2005, p.102]

There's a flightiness that lends the album a showreel quality. [Apr 2005, p.97]

Effectively embracing the entire history of the band's sound, the album sprawls over an hour, and has so many peaks and valleys it's practically topographical. [Apr 2005, p.98]

This sounds like the record Vic Chesnutt's been waiting his entire life to make. [Apr 2005, p.112]

A horny fusion of glam-rock boogie, Urge Overkill's egotism and libidinous top-shelf naughtiness, all delivered with the molten fury of The Black Keys. [Nov 2005, p.111]

A sparky and honest mess. [Mar 2005, p.94]

A fascinating document of exactly how far he's travelled. [May 2005, p.117]

A near-faultless record. [Apr 2005, p.97]

There's less emphasis on programmed beats and samples and a greater dependence on live instrumentation. [Apr 2005, p.114]

[Broder's] bodged tracks are the equivalent of Napoleon Dynamite's hybrid animal, the "liger", with beats that kick like a flogged mule. [Jun 2005, p.114]

The pace and register of the record seldom alter: the soundscape is always more baked earth than lush foliage. [May 2005, p.103]

Their drowsy lullabies and minor-key melodies are now so commonplace... that much of it seems unremarkable. [Dec 2005, p.109]

Intriguing, endearing and, given time, surprisingly addictive. [Jun 2005, p.104]

Luckily he's such a gifted performer that, even if you don't know what he's saying, you kind of know what he means. [Feb 2005, p.76]

It has everything you've come to expect from a Daft Punk album--innovation, cracking tunes, a palpable sense of its own absurdity--but this time the whole shebang's cranked up to 11. [Apr 2005, p.99]

A gem. [Apr 2005, p.105]

Majestic, life-affirming and touched by magic. [Nov 2004, p.102]

Mitchell's sophisticated Memphis funk gives Green's voice the fuel to float. [Apr 2005, p.97]

Too often his cluttered samples and constant fidgeting shatter [the] fragile spells. [Apr 2005, p.98]

A set of faintly sad songs so minimal that they're often barely there at all. [May 2005, p.96]

Their energy is extraordinary. [May 2005, p.97]

He can't muster much more than a compose-by-numbers Boards Of Canada kit that's destined for little more than wildlife documentary syndication. [Mar 2005, p.102]

The songs may work better in short, sudden bursts; over 11 tracks, you can feel bludgeoned by the band's blunt force. [Apr 2005, p.112]

To anyone over 16 it's Suicide/Velvets karaoke, a hacky homage to heroes rather than anything with fresh blood on its teeth. [Mar 2005, p.96]

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]

Restrained, but deeply satisfying. [Apr 2005, p.100]