Love her or hate her, Between My Head And The Sky isn't terrible. Yoko Ono is still in the game, and if it's possible to find a deeper meaning to lyrics like "Why is [the elephant] so big/ He says because you're small honey," then more power to her.

If you’re in the mood to get pummeled by simplistic, yet oh-so-effective samples and melodies, Cross does so better than most rocker-ready dance records. However, if you’re expecting to be saved by some next-level shit, this one’s not gonna cut it.

Scale slips into un-passionate, boring territory--in part due to the vocalist, who make sthe whole thing sound somewhat homogeneous. [May 2006, p.86]

With hardly a breakbeat in sight, RJ's sophomore effort plays like an homage to '80s-era easy listening.... An ambitious effort, but a failure all the same. [May 2004, p.86]

Maritime won't be able to distinguish themselves from others, but they have an amazing ability to create songs like "Tearing Up the Oxygen," which as a pop-play on words with a sense of realism. [Apr 2006, p.97]

A complex, avant-garde amalgamation of styles for only the most adventurous ears. [Aug 2002, p.116]

Rounding out the record with the 15+ minute 'Sequenced,' we're dropped back into the slow catatonia exhibited earlier on--and while this is a perfectly nice place to visit for a quarter of an hour, it may leave you yearning for The Field's previous world of sublime

Although the majority of the album is not that memorable, it is pretty damn warm and infectious.

[Heiruspecs] prove that they are definitely more than just Atmosphere's occasional back-up band. [Oct 2004, p.103]

A Hundred Things also contains quieter moments that work surprisingly well for such a loud record, providing a much-needed respite from the nervous scramble of the rest of the album.

This could be the second half of Menomena's debut. [Jan/Feb 2006, p.81]

The difference between Super Furry Animals and all those freaky folk guys is that SFA aren't really trying to be all that freaky anymore. [Oct 2005, p.80]

There's a psyche-rock track with UNKLE on here, for chrissakes. But yeah, dude has skills.

Songs are succinct yet maintain an eye for layering oblique, eccentric detail of almost prog proportions. [Jun 2006, p.111]

An album full of interesting possibilities, but only a few memorable songs. [Mar 2002, p.120]

Her rhyming ability is versatile yet non-braggadocios. And it is these ingredients that gives the music world a fresh yet veteran voice.

Ecstatic may not be the warm follow-up some people were expecting, but it's an equally fascinating, engaging album. [Jun 2005, p.78]

Whether live or memorex, it's really hard to tell the difference between the two, especially on excellent if-it-ain't-broke tracks like 'Fake ID' and 'Doing it Right.' [Sep/Oct 2007, p.130]

Albums such as Wake Up! – best intentions aside – run the risk of coming across as entirely cheesy and contrived. Unfortunately, John Legend and The Roots are no exception to the rule.

Coxon finally seems to be coming into his own. [Mar 2005, p.111]

It simply doesn't satisfy. [#90, p.115]

All in all, it seems like the diva needs a little drama to get it percolatin'. [Mar 2006, p.123]

There is a certain rhythm that begins to form with constantly being pulled along and feeling as though this will be the moment everything crescendos. Prepare yourself To Realize presents a Sisyphus-esque journey that can be exhausting.

Their sound has life, culture and tiny details that could only be developed from a wide variation of instruments and worldly inspirations.

It's almost a relief when the album hangs up, like talking to a crazy and exhausting friend who didn't get the memo that we're all supposed to be zombie-d out like it's 1982 right now. [Dec 2002, p.88]

Emphasizes stripped down drums & bass. [Apr 2007, p.102]

This quirky little record shouldn't lose any old fans and may just gain her a few new ones. [Apr 2007, p.108]

Is Dead Man's Bones' record necessarily as accomplished as either of the aforementioned? Maybe not. But when one half of your band is splitting his vocations by also brandishing his face onto big studio pieces of celluloid, it's still a mightily impressive debut.

Opener 'Time to Pretend' exemplifies this best, as the synths provide quirky cartoonish bounces to tales of fancy car whipping and coke snorting pipe-dreams. However, the record grows sluggish at certain points, particularly when they try to get super sentimental on that ass.

Where Air's previous album failed to ignite like their classic Moon Safari, they have made some amends on Talkie Walkie. [Jan 2004, p.74]

It's a promising thought to know there are musicians this deft and so easily able to push themselves through so many sonic boundaries at once--but in the end, the overt and ultimately, stifling seriousness surrounding it proves to be the largest boundary BLK JKS stand before.

Amid all the beaming newness of Radical Connector is something familiar and unsettling. [Sep 2004, p.116]

A hard one to wrap your head around. [Oct 2005, p.84]

Distracting at times is Thomas’s voice--he seems to take pride in being purposefully off key--but breezy opener “Girls FM” and later the low key “Eyes Music” calm his shrieking affinity and keep him just where he needs to be; melodic.

With the Pixies re-run now seemingly over, it's good to hear the "other Deal" project back in full effect.

Painfully unexciting. [Mar 2006, p.122]

The record is a winning release, if not entirely novel, and the sound of a likable band honing their sound while refusing, somewhat obstinately, to alter it.

His vocal patterns on None Shall Pass are enthralling, but they mean absolutely nothing. [Sep/Oct 2007, p.127]

Too often Mr. Beast is dire sounding and dull, and nearing deadweight. [May 2006, p.86]

Dalek is like a fine beer...it is an acquired taste, but once you get past that part, it is delicious. This is demonstrated well on Gutter Tactics, his newest release.

While Kesto's sweeping scope is impressive, this long-player is best reserved for cold winter evenings and late-night introspection. [Jul/Aug 2004, p.126]

It's hard to care, to jump, jive and join the cause, when singer-guitarist Jenny Hoysten barely musters anything above flat, monotonous speak-singing. [Jul/Aug 2006, p.118]

Is similarly turn of the last century electronic, but in a darker and less slice and diced way. [May 2005, p.92]

Unfortunately, lead singer Pall Jenkins's vocals are not as spectacular as the arrangements backing him. [May 2006, p.82]

Despite some other choice cuts, there’s no cohesion to hold it together.

It succeeds in the same subversive manner Peaches did six years ago. [Jul/Aug 2006, p.118]

Even though Prekop and Prewitt continue interlocking their guitars over spiny rhythms from McEntire and Calridge throughout the set, something doesn't quite click often enough this time around. [Nov/Dec 2008, p.87]

[Contains] scattered but affecting shots of brilliance. [Oct 2006, p.117]

Musically, this record definitely shoots what it was aiming for, but I wouldn't listen to it unless you are, or want to be, severely depressed or disturbed.

There are fewer acerbic-tinged, catchy pop tracks that made thier last two efforts so essential. [Oct 2003, p.86]

No boredom here. [Jul/Aug 2005, p.108]

It goes down like a cold fresh glass of Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince, circa 1988. [Sep 2003, p.102]

Certainly a nice full-length, though it would be interesting to see what a vocalist could add to their formula . [Jun 2004, p.86]

The blues stomps have been muted, and none of the 11 songs are her own. [Oct 2005, p.110]

When The Streets gets lazy, he becomes less of an artist and more like a novelty. [May 2006, p.80]

This is not a bad record, just not what the game needed from De La at the moment.

The tunes are taunt and chipper and the instrumentation is full and flirty as promised. But their tunefulness falls into question with these ears.

It sounds like Drew would still benefit from having his Canadian ragtag team behind him though, because his solo effort just isn't very strong.

The songs all come from a similar place, but a solid bass line and focused rhythm will always carry the day.

What may be most surprising here is that the Allstars have dipped their toes into the previously uncharted waters of pop songs. [Mar 2002, p.116]

Like all exploratory trips, sometimes he has prophetic visions and sometimes he just rolls around a lot. [Oct 2002, p.94]

Following a seven year gap between studio albums, Sacramento's CAKE is back with the compelling, yet inconsistent Showroom of Compassion.

Updates the happy-fi Plastilina Mosh sound into a pop-friendly mix of hip-hop, funk and lounge-y atmospheres. [May 2002, p.116]

The extended running time of Young Miss America starts to act against Lafata toward the full-length's end. [Jun 2003, p.93]

Not exactly ironic hipster or fashionably cool... the end result, ironically, is damn cool. [Apr 2007, p.104]

A lush, relaxing listen. [Jan/Feb 2006, p.103]

This duo can only be measured against themselves and for the first time, it don't measure up. [Sep 2006, p.139]

Far from forgettable, Black Cherry falls a bit short of the sum of its parts but is valuable for its more daring numbers. [#104, p.96]

Sol-angel and the Hadley St. Dreams boasts Thievery Corporation at the production helm, giving little Knowles' album a sophisticated sonic texture of jazzy pop, lounge inflections, and brassy drama.

The songs have parts that are memorable but your finger is always on the advance button. Overall, pretty good but could use some editing and improvement.

Earnestly sung lyrics in the vein of Jack Johnson or John Mayer, 80s-style instrumentation (percussion, guitar licks, synths), and constant rhythmic switch-ups are elegantly crafted. This album isn't boring, it's just too polished for the raw sounds and styles it draws influence from.

If nothing else the lyrics are rich, although it gets tiresome to hear song after song of psychedelic fairytales over spaced out chimes and strings.

Incessantly innovative, it's charming as hell for about the duration of a sidelong glance. [Aug 2003, p.89]

Because the sound is based on repetition, yet it bounces off every wall it touches, the album can be like a bad trip inside the mind of a schizophrenic and new listeners may not be ready, but for the others who’ve supported the band in the past, it can be a welcome respite from the sound they’re used to.

For those who used to throw parties, but now have dinners, Kings Of Convenience will bring desert and a bottle of expensive red wine. [Oct 2004, p.103]

[A] time warp of an album, which takes us back to a future where grunge never happened, glam is god, disco balls sit atop the world and glitter falls from the sky. [Sep 2006, p.129]

Yet Jamie T is a pop nihilist, to the degree where his lackadaisical lyrical knack, indolent hooks and skeletal beats give the listener a peep into what it truly means to be the average, youthful bloke.

Brazilian Girl has the ability to give audiences a world band sound because of its mixture of different languages and live band sound. It also has a certain level of pop appeal.

Taken as a whole, the album does have a certain cohesiveness that’s lacking in most dance “albums” but many of the tracks fail to break new or interesting ground, and it leaves one wishing their potential of last summer could’ve been realized.

More Libertines than Franz Ferdinand, the Futureheads deftly move away from being pigeonholed and reward listeners with a complex album of pop gems. [Jun 2006, p.111]

I'm inclined to say that they've reached a midpoint in experimentation where they can claim to be boundary-pushers and trendsetters, yet have done little in untried methodology, an undeserved sense of achievement.

Beatwise, Playtime culls Wiley's best dubs from the last year, with tracks like 'Bow E3' and '50/50' flexing textbook mastery over grime's sludgy polyrhythm.

It's nice that a singer/songwriter can fit comfortably on a label known for abstract techno and heady hip-hop. It's not so great when she sounds like Dido. [Apr 2005, p.109]

A sincere winner. [Mar 2006, p.123]

Doesn't fit comfortably into either the current musical landscape or the leftfield. [Mar 2004, p.109]

Listeners hoping for a radical departure from previous outings may be disappointed to find that the disc doesn't necessarily break new ground... [Sep 2001, p.152]

Their tried and true formula does wear thin in parts, as it always does, but there are enough creative wrinkles in this album to warrant repeat listens and contemplation.

Dystopia pop at its most intriguing. [May 2005, p.93]

The disc's most memorable moments come in the musical ideas left abandoned. [Sep/Oct 2007, p.130]

Most of Creature Comforts is hypnotic, if hardly soothing, noisemaking. [Jul/Aug 2004, p.124]

Thorburn’s second record writing songs with the group Islands shows admirable ambition and eclectic musicianship. What hinders this release, however, is a matter of composition.

When there are moments, they strike and wittingly pull bodies off seats. [Oct 2001, p.128]

Eccentricity is what defines Grampall Jookabox and their sophomore effort Ropechain, but that doesn’t make it any less listenable. In fact, Ropechain has its fair share of fine musical moments that actually benefit from the bizarre tendencies of the group.

Builds upon the familiar grab bag with the addition of a trippier, more psychedelic vibe and high-profile, pop-minded guest vocalists. [Mar 2005, p.114]

While not up to par with either of their previous albums, Bee Hives is certainly a pretty, if uneven, addition for fans. [Jul/Aug 2004, p.124]

A refreshing batch of summery, carefree downtempo songs. [May 2004, p.85]

Is not a very interesting album for a number of reasons. [Jun 2003, p.94]

The music is fresh and rather hypnotizing.