It's hard not to proclaim it as the best album of Enter Shikari's already impressive career. Yes, it's that good. [Feb 2015, p.89]

They've returned fully charged on the triumphant No Cities To Love. [Feb 2015, p.94]

Scottish popsters Belle & Sebastian neatly embrace and critique the politics of dancing on their ninth studio album. [Feb 2015, p.90]

Panda Bear Meets the Grim Reaper arrives as less of a sonic surprise, but his knack for buoyant hooks remains on electronic psychedelia's forefront. [Feb 2015, p.92]

The Dream Walker tempers its aggression with songwriting nuance and emotional clarity.

It's a fairly strong, welcomed return from one of the decade's best bands of its kind. [Jan 2015, p.91]

This album takes time to settle into, but once you are acclimated, it will leave you tingling. [Jan 2015, p.94]

Monuments to an Elegy is a stunning return to form, offering concise songs that plumb the vocalist/guitarist's stock in trade while offering new sonic veneers. [Jan 2015, p.93]

Things get a little dicier when they dip into the ’60s, as Deschanel doesn’t have the pipes to match up with the likes of Maxine Brown and Bill Medley of the Righteous Brothers.... Throughout the rest of Classics, though, Deschanel is a delight, at times coy and romantic, and in other moments, moody and pensive.

It's only the countrified twang of the Promise Ring's "Forget Me"--which should be the most emo song here--that doesn't really work. Everything else is delightful and, naturally, delightfully sad. [Jan 2015, p.94]

Only a few slip-ups occur (“Eyelids” wanders for too many minutes), but all in all, it’s a shiny debut from a band we are excited to watch improve.

This compilation has something for every fan, and with any luck, Bloodshot has another 20 years to look forward.

Dear Youth is a one-size-fits-all hardcore album, one that will lead many fresh faces through the door but leave returners looking for more.

The result is an urgent collection whose creative spark burns brightly. [Dec 2014, p.104]

Your best bet is to just let go and enjoy this long, schizophrenic ride through his candy-colored, drug-addled musical subconscious. [Dec 2014, p.107]

This is the stuff that draws people in and this is the record that should bring a whole passel of new fans into Seaway’s world.

This progressive spin on the classic EpiFat sound yields original, enjoyable results. [Dec 2014, p.105]

As great as At War With Reality really is, it is nothing but expectations, and for a band that shattered preconceptions and spawned an absolutely unbearable number of copycat bands with their last album, that's actually a bit disappointing.

As a whole, they don't quite match the melancholy majesty of his debut O, but moments do rival his best work. [Dec 2014, p.108]

El Bronx simply didn't go far enough, as only a handful of the album's 10 tracks mesh that inspired modernism with the traditional Mexican soulfulness they obviously hold dear. [Dec 2014, p.107]

This album aims straight for your hips and doesn't miss. [Dec 2014, p.104]

Musically, IX is less threatening then previous albums, but that doesn't mean it's any less potent. [Dec 2014, p.104]

When partnered with visuals, these songs will probably be a lot more impactful and resonant. As it stands, they're still pretty great. [Dec 2014, p.104]

While it's hard to recommend Nobody Wants To Be Here And Nobody Wants To Leave outside of an environment of solitudinous nighttime drives (don't expect to hear this kickstart any parties), it's a deeply encompassing and occasionally profound experience that deserves to be felt by far more than the few lucky to already be inside the Twilight Sad's too-small circle.

Pleasant Living shows heaps of growth in a short year since their 2013 debut. [Oct 2014, p.102]

When it works, it’s great; when it doesn’t, it feels clunky at best and skippable at worst.

The band manage to still sound vital and fresh.

A beautiful, quiet and pensive affair, bristling with subtle electronics and wonderfully layered acoustics. [Nov 2014, p.90]