Depeche Mode have produced another album fit to fill headphones and stadiums, leaning more towards a muted commercial than perverted side, but for 30-year veterans there’s really nothing wrong with that.

It stands out as a piece that’s refreshing, bold in musicality, and still defiant as ever--just the way we like our Gossip.

Intimacy offers the most ideas that Bloc Party has ever put on display. Skip the first two tracks and you'll find more hits than misses.

They've delivered highly re-playable 13 song study in the G blues chord's progression, spanning '50s hillbilly rock, '60s garage and '70s glam and punk. [Sep/Oct 2007, p.129]

If you’re wondering what electronic music is missing, look no further: Scars should serve as a reminder (if you needed one) that Basement Jaxx are an essential piece of the puzzle.

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]

They take their place among the scruffiest, ugliest and most crowd-pleasing bad guys the West has ever spat out. [Sep 2006, p.131]

Eschews gauzy isolation to embrace the heartfelt immediacy of chiming, breezy pop in a Big Star way. [Jun 2006, p.119]

This is an album loosely forged in all those places where pop, rock, funk and soul congregate and it's hard to imagine it all coming together much better.

This girl's gritty production and fluid time signature shifts make for an intriguing listen. [Oct 2001, p.134]

Depart From Me is a cohesive album of dark hip hop from an MC in top form.

While the album won’t produce any converts or even revive interest in the band’s newer music among purists, it’s an enjoyable, self-assured collection of jangly guitar pop tunes that sounds guided by the group’s own creative compass instead of fickle fans’ expectations.

There’s an intriguing, never pandering, blend of genres on Be Brave–from soul to blues to modern day indie rock-packaged as Texas blues–making the record a more interesting listen each time around.

They still manage to inject their manic bursts of beats with gentle, even sweet melodies immersed deep in the cacophony. [May 2005, p.84]

A near-masterpiece. [Sep 2004, p.117]

Thankfully, the results are still pure Blues Explosion. [Jan/Feb 2005, p.94]

Tecnicolor Wall of Sound confections. [Apr 2006, p.96]

Filtered drum patterns, neo-gospel arrangements and plaintive piano jams, along with curious and catchy enough melodies, obscure Cudi's guttural talk-raps for a bit.

The adventure slightly disappoints. [Apr 2007, p.108]

It's clever and interesting, but it's hard to escape the feeling that an opportunity to expand and mutate his sound even more went partially wasted. [Apr 2005, p.104]

Even listeners who retreat to the "experimental" defense will only mixtape the five decent tracks and torch the rest. [May 2006, p.84]

Orbital's swan song is a welcome addition to an epic, if uneven, catalog. [Oct 2004, p.104]

Far better than the Cranberries in retrospect. [Sep/Oct 2007, p.131]

What begins brillantly gets dismal to the point where it lacks the eclectic Cajun spice, a taste definitely required to stew up a truly heady gumbo. [Sep 2007, p.128]

Producer Stephen Hilton's light-handed touches mesh well with the mood of the brooding Briton, but the hints at electronica keep things lively enough throughout.

Everything Last Winter loses itself slightly in the oversaturated field of worthy emulators, the record could find its place soundtracking the ABC drama you call a life.

Predominately shimmering and languid, at its raciest Divine Operating System achieves a poppy, disco canter that trades ass-slapping soul for sleek sensuality. [Sep 2002, p.104]

Positively dripping with crude funk. [Mar 2003, p.95]