Vocally, Del may have lost some of his lyrical miracles and "spectacular vernacular" from albums past, but his unquestionably familar cadence hasn't budged a bit. [Jan/Feb 2008, p.104]

A fabulous freeform fiesta of punky reggae and funky dance-pop. [Mar 2002, p.120]

His latest outing, Afterparty Babies, doesn't derail that path, but it struggles to stay on course.

Alternately gritty and bouncy beats by Organized Noize and DJ Sleepy can't quell the sensation of attending a school reunion minus the quarterback. [Jun 2004, p.85]

This album, as seemingly different as each song is, runs pretty smoothly.

A definitely worthwhile rocker, but nothing you'll raise an eyebrow at. [Oct 2005, p.76]

As for the songs themselves, putting aside tragic and Autotuned context, some work and some don’t.

T.I. vs. T.I.P. does continue T.I.'s pattern of finding great production and then sounding really cool on top of it.

Not much separating Brotherhood from "Singles 1993-2003;"...Now for the tasty part. Disc two contains “Electronic Battle Weapon,” volumes one through nine.

Musically, The Hacker provides syncopated New Wave beats with the timeless precision of a musical scholar. [Mar 2002, p.118]

Nothing will blow you away here but a good listen taken in total.

Try the terms "hazy and honey-glazed" or "grandiose and gorgeous," instead [of comparisons to Interpol], with clearer allusions to The Cure and the American Post-Punk Songbook. [Mar 2006, p.113]

Draft's second half will hold more sway over those pining for the minor-key melodiousness of works through Tri Repetae++. [Jun 2003, p.93]

There's just enough rock spirit here to keep Recording A Tape... too weird for Barnes and Noble background music. [Dec 2005, p.104]

At the end of the day, I'm Gay (I'm Happy) proves that he is a much better artist (and role model) than anyone was led to believe.

Terrific tunes. [Apr 2005, p.102]

So while Born This Way for the most part is great, I just don't think she's at her peak musically yet.

Hercules head Andy Butler enters into sizable trances of sonic pleasure, keeping a consistent head nodding and danceable bass line while piling up different elements into an anachronistic salad of old and new melodies all combining and fusing to make something refreshingly current.

Displays gorgeous layering amid catchy pop, mysterious Spanish acoustic guitar, and self-effacing lyrics. [Mar 2006, p.118]

It’s a rare thing to find so many talented collaborators (notably Guilty Simpson, Oh No, & Murs) on top of the skills of such a creative and accomplished selector as Madlib. WLIB AM puts an odd twist on oldschool and dresses to impress.

Much like Sufjan Stevens (but without the history professor schtick) Vanderslice is a one-man orchestra of plucked and bowed strings, living-breathing organs and lullaby vocals that narrate his musical characters with explicit detail. [Sep 2005, p.114]

With every track clocking in at about seven minutes, Convivial may fulfill not only the needs of the insatiable dancefloor, but the wants of those looking for relief of daily life's mundanities.

Unfortunately, it's the production that doesn't meet the previous standard set. [Apr 2007, p.101]

In a sentence, Q-Tip’s long-awaited release looks to get people to thinking, loving, and dancing, as usual.

But for all the labels and feelings the album conjures and provokes, Fight Softly ends up sounding like a bunch of beats and blips gesticulating wildly instead of a cohesive body of melodies and songs.

Think early Blur, without the cynicism. [Mar 2006, p.112]

While the production throughout the album is very strong and cohesive (guitar, drums and some piano taking care of most errands), the vocals might prove otherwise.

Autechre are mulching electronic music, letting their code sweat and rot in the heat. In doing so, they set off a complex ecological process that is interesting to watch, if not always pretty to listen to. [#84, p.105]