Contains three best-of-year-brilliant songs. [Mar 2006, p.124]

When they stick to the ’60s Cali Pop of the uplifting “We Are Done” and dreamy “California Rain,” they produce some remarkably winning songs worthy of van-loads of bearded, guitar-toting indie popsters aping the Beach Boys and the Mommas And The Papas. When they miss, though, it’s more unbearable than rush hour traffic on the 405.

In comparison with many imitators, Tanaka does what he does well... [Aug 2001, p.88]

Tracks like "Terra Firma" evoke every new-age-groove cliche imaginable, from Gregorian chants to pan flutes to politely understated hip-hop beats. [#152, p.74]

What Worlds never does is cohere in any appreciable way, stomping all over its finer moments with another synth glitterbomb and burdensome bass drop. [Sep 2014, p.107]

On Fever, it's all about the harmonized riffs and the high-flying melodies interlocking with the type of rhythmic thud that feels like it could move the earth--and the pop charts. [May 2010, p.104]

The mild vulgarity and cute arrogance put to such an innocent melody [in "Fool Like Me"] is the brand of sass for which Cobra Starship are best known. Unfortunately, these traits are desperately lacking from the rest of Night Shades.

The baby-making music never reaches above its already-set guidelines to become something truly special, preferring to explore already charted (and re-charted) territory. [Apr 2007, p.180]

Records like this deliver atmosphere and little else, and most of Pelo's 10 tracks make a point of ending two minutes later than they logically should, but still, feel-good artsy pop has never felt bubblier or more confident. [#151, p.72]

There's little sign of life here, only gently unassuming arpeggios and blanketing softness. [Jan 2004, p.98]

The sample-based backing tracks, hard-hitting but plain, don't have much choice but to play second-best. [Jan 2002, p.74]

The biggest problem on Hellbilly Deluxe 2 is that the campy B-movie samples and song titles like "Jesus Frankenstein" and "Werewolf, Baby!" come across as juvenile and lame. [Mar 2010, p.98

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]

Although it sounds pristine, Youth often drifts along aimlessly, mostly because of shapeless songwriting that stresses atmosphere and sound sculpting over structure. [Jan 2014, p.95]

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

Both Sole's most accomplished album and his least distinctive. [Apr 2005, p.130]

Alternately maddening and enlightening. [Jun 2003, p.110]

It's a moody composition with occasional moments of brilliance that will ultimately leave most listeners as confused as they are content. [Oct 2009, p.114]

Matt and Kim deserve albums that sound clean and ambitious, but in all of Sidewalk's studio processing, their endearing personalities--decidedly brash, raw and awesome--unfortunately aren't well-represented. [Jan 2011, p.93]

There is very little here that makes any sort of meaningful connection. [Dec 2001, p.85]

Like a late-night screening of Blue Velvet, it may be hard to get through, but impossible to ignore. [Dec 2011, p.121]

Sweaty and thick, convincingly urgent and highly sexual. [Jul 2006, p.210]

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]

Pop's dirty-bassed rock may expand T.'s audience, but it's diminished his art. [Sep 2005, p.170]

With shorter songs and more restrained production it lacks the epic quality of its predecessor, and overall it is weaker for it.

In place of Morcheeba's poetic brooding is a poppy, chorus-hook-chorus songwriting style that will probably irk a lot of their fans.... From the sounds of it, Morcheeba are going for the teen-pop market... [#146, p.104]

Bad news for fans of either party who'd expected the union to generate something revolutionary. [Dec 2002, p.85]

[Stephin] Merritt likes to sing about dancing--'I'm Lonely' gives us good reason to join him on the floor. [#147, p.92]