Young New England may not define Transit, as it's wildly uneven and sometimes oddly raw, but there's enough good here--the missteps, you'll listen and forgive. [May 2013, p.91]

For some reason, the Stooges decided to get moody on a trio of acoustic-based tracks, letting their singer respond by going into full on crooner mode. That sort of twaddle may fly on Pop's solo records, but when they go up against the slinky, deep pocket grooves of the rest of the album, the songs feel pale and hollow.

The Postelles flash moments of this talent, but often come off as a pedestrian version of a banal sound.

There’s enough inventive, Jamaican-inspired music on Free The Universe to make it worth hearing--but here’s hoping Diplo keeps things Kingston-centric again next time around.

Though their sometimes generic juddering occasionally dulls the impact, it's still clear the Color Morale are trying to be more than just "another one of those bands." [Apr 2013, p.88]

My Shame Is True winds up feeling like white noise more than anything else. [May 2013, p.84]

While electronic music fans are not always a lyrics-first bunch, the sentiments here will probably sound better shouted at Glastonbury or Coachella than examined via earbuds.

The collection is loosely held together by vintage production, making many tracks feel like distant AM radio transmissions. [Apr 2013, p.86]

The high points find the Men melding their overmodulated past with their new melodic obsessions. The low points render the band mere pretenders to outfits like Guided By Voices and Spoon. [Apr 2013, p.90]

Images Du Futur lacks the structural rigor and focused ideas of [Clinic], which prevents the album from having a strong impact. [Apr 2013, p.90]

This is some subversive fun. Baffling, however, is a nearly note-for-note sonic reproduction of the Queen hit "Bohemian Rhapsody." [Mar 2013, p.93]

Temper Temper probably sounds great played in an arena. But on the stereo, it just isn't enough. [Mar 2013, p.90]

Somewhere Else is only rewarding if you can stay awake. [Feb 2013, p.90]

Beta Love feels too much like the band's token electronic record. [Feb 2013, p.92]

This record possesses a contagious energy that exists not in lieu of a hook but actively as the hook. [Feb 2013, p.90]

"Black Balloons" is built on a riff exactly like Bon Iver's "Perth" sped up, and hearing the grating lyrical wail of "Columbia" and you're left wondering if so much time away was a result of writer's block. [Feb 2013, p.90]

There's nothing that leaps out as brilliant, just like there's not a single example of the band trying something genuinely risky and new, and falling on their collective face.

¡Tré! feels scattershot and slapped together, making it difficult to enjoy on its own merits.

Deheza's still a fine singer and there are plenty of interesting tones and sounds flitting across the background, but all it ever coalesces into is wan, directionless, dance rock.

There's nothing surprising or too far outside their comfort zone.

While Apocryphon might be the band's push toward the future, let it also exist as a funeral dirge for the band's more vibrant and rule-breaking past. [Nov 2012, p.94]

Banks is a dense (and sometimes prickly) listen that's not immediately accessible, although it rewards those who give it time. [Nov 2012, p.86]

Their fourth effort is sabotaged by a weak second half spent on played-out '80s darkwave fascinations. [Nov 2012, p.94]

The other songs beg for remixes, guest vocalists or anything to give them more depth. [Nov 2012, p.92]

Other than "I Ejaculate Fire," the lyrics aren't that funny--it often seems like Small is trying to write real metal songs. And it's hard to see the point of that.

There's lots of talent in this New York sextet, but it gets lost in all the unbridled exploration and layers.

There's nothing about Robert Sledge and Darren Jessee's performance on Life that will make you realize you're listening to Ben Folds Five. Still, a few songs are gems. [Oct 2012, p.84]

It feels safe and too familiar.