Though Sublime With Rome's debut LP is a promising collection of summer songs, under the carefully fabricated surface, it's hollow.

It feels safe and too familiar.

On paper the choice of Jon Brion, a musician and engineer best known for his work in film seemed perfect, but unfortunately it didn't temper Barnes' misguided vision to be the indie-rock Prince. [Oct 2010, p.116]

Secret Machines is a bit of a misstep, failing keep their languid, explorative tracks from growing dull. [Dec 2008, p.148]

Merritt's singularity just feels awkward, and Realism is another album in a catalog more concerned with quantity than quality.

Unfortunately, many of the tunes wear out their welcome, overextending a single inspired idea. [Apr 2004, p.88]

Unlike Treats, Reign Of Terror never feels new, fresh or exciting; it just feels like a chore.

Mo Beauty becomes difficult to wade through as Ounsworth ventures further from his indie-rock roots. [Nov 2009, p.114]

For now, it just comes off like an unnecessary retreat.

They play things way too safe... which makes for a rather boring listening experience. [Mar 2007, p.142]

The album as a whole is scattershot; it's easy to appreciate the boundaries that Zion I are pushing, but the best authors have great editors. [Feb 2009, p.107]

It was probably inevitable, but having raised the bar so high for cut-and-paste music, Shadow spends a little too long here looking up at it. [Jul 2002, p.96]

Too much of Human Hearts feels like a retread of what they've already done on previous LPs. [Apr 2011, p.115]

It lacks the spark of the band's classic catalog material. [Apr 2007, p.191]

The disparate pieces of Melvins Lite don't quite line up. [Jul 2012, p.98]

The album may have neen best served as an EP; it's an uneven mix of energetic jams and unfocused duds. [May 2008, p.132]

Tori Amos fans will be thrilled, but those hoping to continue on a hard-rock bender will be left puzzled. [May 2015, p.100]

The overall ambition is commendable, but perhaps a better plan of action would have been to strip the story completely, cull together the album’s best songs and instead close the EP trilogy with a stronger, shorter release.

While we believe that Sum 41 have the potential to succeed without the aid of power chords, the fact that only a handful of the musical ideas on the album are fully developed makes for a frustrating listening experience.

Though fast and dynamic, it's just not exciting in the way it should be, and it's impossible to shake the feeling that something is missing. [Jul 2013, p.96]

The songs last twice as long as they should. [Dec 2004, p.152]

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

The main frustration with Meyrin Fields is that neither artist seems hindered individually, only lost to elevate his respective partner in a meaningful way.

Either the worst or the best thing I've heard all year. [Dec 2004, p.152]

Why does Warp Riders feel so lacking? The root cause could be that the songs on this album are stripped of the sexy strut that marked the Sword's earlier efforts. [Sep 2010, p.113]

For all of its charms, One Kiss Ends It All sounds a bit sdhaky and unfocused. [Jun 2013, p.98]

It's nice Walla's doing his own thing, but it's also clear from Field Manual that in terms of his main band, credit has always been given where credit was due. [Mar 2008, p.141]

The good: Tyler Carter and Luke Holland's performance one-ups YouTube tryhards on Paramore's "Ain't No fun"; Set It Off are naturals at this whole "pop" thing, nailing Adriana Grande's "Problem".... The bad: August Burns Red's cover of Miley Cyrus' "Wrecking Ball" tries to make a pp song pissed--it's dated on arrival.... The just plain ridiculous: Upon A Burning Body ft. Ice T covering "Turn Down For What?" [Dec 2014, p.107]