It seems silly to declare Time To Die too well put together, but it's not always the shapest knife that gets the most use. [Oct 2009, p.110]

Don't get too far ahead of yourself--a sing-along is virtually impossible since deciphering HEALTH's lyrics is quite a challenge. They may have mature a bit, but some things will never change. [Oct 2009, p.110]

If Love Drunk's overall enthusiasm and high-energy pop doesn't win over even the snarkiest of reviewers after a few listens, then they probably don't have a heart. Everyone else will love it anyway. Pop-rock like this is popular for a reason.

Not every song hits the mark, but the Monkeys should be applauded for spreading their wings and not dropping like stones. [Sep 2009, p.100]

Ellipse is balanced but doesn't break ground. Fans of her past work will likely find little to quarrel with, but they won't be challenged, either. [Sep 2009, p.105]

The London-based compulsive hair-dyer follows 2007's soulful breakout "The Magic Position" with the luxurious sounds of The Bachelor, the first half of a double album to mixed results. [Sep 2009, p.108]

With primarily organic instrumentation and warm, low-fi production, nothing is forced--although in some instances, the tracks feel a little too barren, and overall there's not much to distinguish between the songs. [Sep 2009, p.108]

Young has a good chance at becoming a worthy replacement for the Postal Service; he just needs to monitor the ratio of sugar to substance on subsequent efforts. [Oct 2009, p.111]

The Most Serene Republic play it incredibly safe while maintaining thier baroque-rock rep. [Aug 2009, p.111]

Listening to American Central Dust ultimately feels a bit too much like working on an assembly line. [Aug 2009, p.114]

Walls tends to fade into the background during its instrumental moments, dulled by textures and emotional ebbs that aren't very distinctive. Better are sharper rock songs. [Aug 2009, p.115]

Shawn Christensen's vocals are buried in the mix, while songs fly by with no memorable structure or hooks. [Aug 2009, p.115]

Farm isn't the kind of Dino record that has a keeper single like 'Start Choppin'' or 'Feel The Pain.' Instead, it boasts some of Mascis' biggest departures under the Dino name. [Aug 2009, p.110]

Octahedron will appeal to elderly prog fans immune to attention deficit disorder, who have the patience to let its charm gradually unfold. [Aug 2009, p.111]

The signature '97's twang takes a backseat to finely tuned pop songs. The downside? It falls short of going anywhere new musically. [Jul 2009, p.130]

Pariah isn't without its merits, and diehard fans will likely find few flaws anywhere. But for the casual listener, the album might seems a little less "Of The Room" and a little more "Rent." [Jul 2009, p.126]

He and his mercenaries swing cleverly from noodly instruments to introspective acoustic ditties, but never settle down long enough to let their concoction congeal. [Jul 2009, p.127]

This record sounds like Story Of The Year if they weree from the UK--energetic pop-hardcore that's ultimately a bit on the fogettable side. [Jul 2009, p.122]

The serious tone is a natural progression for the Sounds but Rubicon's downfall is that it's songs don't linger much after the music stops. [Jul 2009, p.128]

Much of the material begs for memorable melodies, perhaps a bit of a rave-up or divergent musical moment would have helped. [Jun 2009, p.103]

For anyone familiar with these progenitors of glam punk, 'Cause I Sez So won't surprise. [Jul 2009, p.130]

Every band represented on For The Lions are hardcore legends, and Hatebreed do their songs justice--they just don''t deliver anything in the way of innovation. [Jun 2009, p.104]

Lee's cutesy folk and piano pop leaves us cold. [Mar 2009, p.106]

Despite its pristine arrangements, Colonia turns into sonic NyQuil about halfway through, and ends up a low-day--albeit impeccable-sounding-listen. [Jun 2009, p.102]

It feels a lot longer than it is, and that's a bad thing. [May 2009, p.115]

brakesbrakesbrakes are as eclectic (musically) and clever (lyrically) as ever on their third album. [June 2009, p.98]

It's a shame that in those rare moments Lacuna Coil do stick out their necks, the results are the uninspired, tepid radio rock of Shalow Life's 'Unchained' and 'The Pain.' [Jun 2009, p.104]

Telepathe should be appauled for making a challenging record; though it frequently doesn't hit the mark, there's plenty for fans of minimalism to get excited about. [Mar 2009, p.116]