The result captures him turning into an old-fashioned troubadour, one fueled by big issues and a country/hip-hop hybrid that's never sounded catchier. [June 2008, p.131

A match-up like this one needs the right balance between angel and devil, and... Campbell's fragile alto is just no match for Lanegan. [May 2006, p.162]

What sounds like leftovers from Miller's last solo effort and bizarre surf-rock-inspired numbers rear their ugly heads, leaving these Lone Star Staters in jeopardy of repeating the grade. [July 2008, p.158]

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]

The CD's air of politeness pushes this pleasant pop music into the background. [Oct 2002, p.92]

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]

Much of Dust is nearly indistinguishable from the British trip hop Muggs' tripped-out productions helped inspire. [Apr 2003, p.82]

This 18-song, one-hour compilation is a spawling, hit-or-miss affair. [Jan 2011, p.90]

Contains all the usual suspects: a few great songs, a few throwaways, a bunch of head-scratching song titles and indie rock's best take on the Who. [Mar 2006, p.124]

It's smooth going down but lacks any real notable songs. [Apr 2008, p.153]

Mohager ultimately forgets there's a fine line between homage and aping, but if your dream gift is a time capsule from the Reagan Years get ready to discover your new favorite record. [Jul 2011, p.107]

The album sounds, not surprisingly, overproduced, lacking even a hint of the earthy quality of 'I Do Not Want...' and leaving little space for O'Connor to stretch out vocally. [#146, p.96]

Speakers and Tweeters is an admirably varied effort from a band whose Two-Tone jones is just the starting point. [June 2008, p.137]

There are few hooks to grab the ear or inspire repeat listening. [Apr 2002, p.86]

These impressive vocal arrangements suffer when Ida leave them alone in the spotlight. [Feb 2005, p.88]

Even if Banks sticks to the "I've got two secrets but I only told you one" songwriting approach, hopefully a band shakeup will spark the soulfulness only occasionally heard in his contributions. [Oct 2010, p.118]

It's about as close a facsimile of the fractured and foreboding scattershot thoughts that haunt most of us at night as one can capture on record. [Feb 2008, p.115]

There are enough interesting moments... that each spin reveals a new nuance that makes this genre roundrobin worth signing up for. [Nov 2005, p.218]

[It] feels more put-on than intimate, more tried than true. [Feb 2007, p.109]

Owen leave behind the emotional outbursts of his collaborations with his brother Tim in Cap'n Jazz, Joan Of Arc and Owls, but keep a quieter, suburban rage alive on his sixth album. [Dec 2011, p.121]

Like Merzbow jamming with a broken dishwasher through a short-wave radio. [Nov 2004, p.146]

Other than the booming, Devo-ish vocal effects on "Spacetime," these songs aren't pushing the envelope--but you should still tear it open and look inside. [Aug 2011, p.114]

Much of ex-Lives is encumbered by well-trodden ground turned muddy and attempts at atmosphere. [Apr 2012, p.96]

[Often the album] leads to pleasant but forgettable songs, leaning toward Britpop.

It's a clear sequel that continues the character profiles and storylines frontman Rhett Miller created last time around. [Aug 2011, p.118]

This batch of cobbled-together love songs and lullabies makes for instantly likable pop regardless of its source material. [#155, p.77]

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

Rogue Wave now resemble a more earnest Flaming Lips. [Dec 2005, p.204]