Both exhilaratingly rocking and gorgeously pensive. [Nov 2005, p.210]

There’s so much depth to absorb here, yet it’s also instantly rewarding, and it happens time and again on Oh, Common Life; as adventurous as the album is, there’s nary a misstep to be found.

A frenetic, opaque masterpiece that ranks in the upper echelons of post-rock primacy. [Apr 2004, p.96]

Change may be audibly bigger-sounding -- in a slick, professional way -- than previous efforts, but the new angle just drives the point home: The Dismemberment Plan deserve to be huge. [Jan 2002, p.82]

A thrilling listen. [Dec 2003, p.140]

The ambitiousness, imagination and craftsmanship on display place Weightless in a class all of its own, stridently redefining the parameters of heavy music in 2011,. [Dec 2011, p.120]

A series of sparse ruminations on barren landscapes and cosmic coincidence that comprises weird sound effects, acoustic finger-picking, tape loops and spectral vocal incantations. [Apr 2005, p.118]

"Continuous Thunder" is a sensitive parting shot, and cements Celebration Rock's emotional depth. [Jul 2012, p.98]

Romantic, modern, vintage, classic, spinning pop illusions while sublimely dancing with the dark arts--there’s a definite “vibe” throughout The Shadow Side and the mainstream would be better for it, should the world surrender themselves to Andy Black’s deceptive embrace.

All of this comes together to form a cohesive collection that flows effortlessly; without a doubt, it's one of the strongest guitar-rock records 2012 will yield. [May 2012, p.83]

There’s an elegance to her music that wasn’t there before--a sudden bright piano riff over deep guitar; a harrowing, shouted acapella--that feels like a coming of age.

Bemis may have grown up, but he's still a master at crafting poignant lyrics that take a sharp look at his fears of becoming irrelevant and thoughts about God. [Jul 2014, p.97]

As with previous Evens efforts, the urgency flows out through MacKaye's precision-like guitar tones, and the emotion that drips out of his and Farina's harmonies. [Dec 2012, p.90]

It's hard to be down on a record that deftly rocks this hard. [May 2012, p.85]

The Wolf You Feed is an admirable addition to the Gamblers' discography.

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

Against The Current's most mature and polished release yet. [Jun 2016, p.99]

Their latest full-length occasionally veers into darker territory than usual, but for the most part it sticks to what the band do best. [Sep 2013, p.94]

It's a tidy package that's well-planned and executed, but with a few pop songs so well written, it's easy to want the band to shift directions and let the post-rock go by the wayside. [Sep 2009, p.100]

Van Etten cements herself as the auteur of the symphonically sad.

Blunderbuss has a special casualness to it, thanks to White surrounding himself with a coterie of Nashville locals able to take him where he wants to go. The destination in question may very well be back to the early '70s, where country- and blues-tinged crossover records captivated America's post-Vietnam psyche.

All at once tragic, gorgeous and ugly in just the right ways. [Nov 2005, p.212]

Foil Deer is a meticulous collection which deconstructs convention. [May 2015, p.100]

It's still loud, but he's trusting his songcraft and producing more sinister, elusive and substantial music. [Feb 2012, p.80]

The triumphant streak continues with Southern Air, an album on par with 2003's beloved Ocean Avenue. [Sep 2012, p.93]

Garden Window's individual songs could stand to find better cohesion, but the band's quest for answers packs a consistent thematic punch, and certain musical moments that surface as a result of their boiling frustration are just spellbinding.

Accessible enough for people who learn about new music from [NPR] and sonically interesting enough to appeal to hardcore electroheads. [May 2004, p.110]

O (Disambiguation) is the first Underoath album in years that you'll walk away humming--even as you pick shrapnel out of your ears. [Dec 2010, p.118]

The Beasties prove they've still got what it takes to rock the house -- Hot Sauce was definitely worth the wait.

While he certainly has the ability to rage in a Mel-Gibson-esque blow-me-while -I-burn-the-house-down style, Cave brings enough grace and reticence to the songs, making the proceedings even more sinister. [Oct 2010, p.113]

Pleasantly pastoral. [Nov 2001, p.86]

The live drums and guitars show how the duo's chartbusting sound bears a surprising similarity to modern metal. [Mar 2002, p.86]

The A-side sports some significant drive and heft. [Jul 2003, p.122]

Imagine a pagan Danielson Famile on magic mushrooms, or a folk-rock cLOUDDEAD. [Aug 2004, p.122]

If Good News... isn't the pillar-like masterpiece Modest Mouse fans have waited years for, it's proof that things haven't completely fallen apart. [May 2004, p.92]

Shredding is more notable for its urgency and energy. Oh Superchunk! It's so good to have you back. [Oct 2010, p.117]

Taken in one healthy, heroic dose, Typical System feels like a dazzling glimpse into the future of underground rock. [Jul 2014, p.102]

The group put enough spin on the source material to make these songs their own. [Nov 2015, p.97]

The band stand undiminished, combining Leviathan's raging metal with the sterling production of the proggier Crack The Skye.

Blackjazz, by contrast, is fierce and unrelenting, a slavering beast of an album with the complexity and dissonance of the Flying Luttenbachers and the head-down intensity of upstate New York ultra-power trio Borbetomagus.

Smart and adventurous, Wild Flag does not disappoint. [Oct 2011, p.112]

Tells the story of musicians creating something brilliant and new with the well-worn pieces of their punk-indie-hardcore legacy. [Oct 2003, p.124]

A tame but rather satisfying affair. [Aug 2003, p.105]

Depending on your worldview, Art Brut are either the most whimsical folks in Britrock or the most sardonic bastards you've ever worshiped via air guitar. [Jul 2006, p.186]

11 tracks that scorch the earth lesser bands traipse on. [May 2007, p.150]

Ultimately, this is a forceful, headlong album with no ballads or restful interludes among its 10 tracks. [May 2014, p.91]

A full-on party record. [Nov 2005, p.201]

Eyes & Nines melts faces entirely on its own merit. [Jul 2010, p.130]

On their fourth full-length, they sound as menacing as ever. [Nov 2011, p.97]

Answers an interesting question: What if, after The Bends, Radiohead had discovered pedal steel instead of Pro Tools? [Oct 2003, p.138]

Pretty awesome, seriously. [Apr 2008, p.153]

The result is another unique and captivating record, one that melds dancehall reggae, hip-hop, Haitian percussion and a dozen other styles as if they were always meant to be together. [Jun 2014, p.111]

Does it work? It depends on your idea of "flow": If you don't mind sandwiching the Trent Reznorish "Introduce" and the Squarepusher-on-crank mess of "First : Break" between the opulent epics that comprise the middle and the end of the album, Idiology comes off as an inspired collection of irreverent hackery and emotional depth. [Jul 2001, p.79]

Whether your tastes veer toward the Dillinger Escape Plan or John Zorn, Carboniferous is what your soul's been craving. [Mar 2009, p.109]

PUP is 10 songs of irreverent party jams for buds and their gals and their bros.

There's a spiraling circularity to Circumambulation that makes the disc feel more like a hypnotic, deathlike hymn than just a bummer stuck on repeat. [Aug 2013, p.92]

They're still crisp and cold--kind of like the Terminator--but somehow unlike Ahnuld, it's possible to hear a human heart beating within the steel. [May 2008, p.138]

It harnesses Circa's best qualities and adds a sense of direction previous releases somewhat lacked. [May 2010, p.105]

Four Year Strong is catchy, polished and displays lyrical depths. [Jul 2015, p.96]

Goths is one of Darnielle and co.'s most daring and well-conceived feats. [Jun 2017, p.82]

The Icarus Line’s sixth album is scarred, clandestine and alluring, much like meeting a stranger who has the capabilities to turn you on--or turn you off, dead.

Stripped-down and understated. [Sep 2004, p.136]

Harmonious hymns such as "Bury Your Burdens In the Ground" and "Let's Do Something Impossible" prove that you don't need more than a banjo, an expressive voice and a heartfelt story in order to craft something truly extraordinary. [Aug 2011, p.122]

Though nominally house music, Unreasonable Behavior's tracks expend as much energy on engaging the listener's mind as they do on moving the body. [Dec 2000, p.86]

Bubblegum comes amid plenty KD material, but with endearing romps like the Nirvana-indebted title track and Criteria-sounding "Somewhere Unoccupied," it might be his best batch yet. [Nov 2013, p.88]

Transgender Dysphoria Blues definitely isn’t perfect, but its high points are high enough that even a fuckface like yours truly can’t ignore its flashes of brilliance.

Hearing Blood Mountain in its entirety is like awaking from a coma to discover you have working ears. [Oct 2006, p.206]

They occupy an ethereal wonderland of their own design on Teen Dream, a place where '80s soft rock mingles with slow-pop soliloquies, producing an oscillating, supernal bliss both sparkling and somber. [Feb 2010, p.92]

Some of the most evocative music of this century. [Dec 2002, p.97]

Dissonant strings, clasical piano and eerie quiet spells infuse the album with a wird, roiling darkness that gets under your skin rather than filleting your skull. The result is more dramatic than any Dillinger release this decade--and more powerful because of it. [Apr 2010, p124]

Although short of a masterpiece, (a)spera is Mirah's most satisfying start-to-finish disc since her 2001 solo breakthrough. [Apr 2009, p.135]

It is as exciting and enthralling a listen as anything Thrice have ever created. [Oct 2011, p.105]

These are tightly constructed songs that sledgehammer a jagged line between the Pixies' inventive pop clamor and the hazy beauty of another clever noise purveyor deserving of the all-caps treatment, HEALTH.

Lound insanity is sexy; quiet insanity is sexier. [Sep 2003, p.118]

Although ever so slightly more modern in feel than his critically adored 1998 self-titled debut, Poses is still built upon Wainwright's mastery of highly composed, early-20th-century popular-song styles. [July 2001, p.86]

Volume 2... is an equally resounding success.... [it] draws on darker material, and thus yields more aggressive vocals and frequent minor keys. [#146, p.86]

What Opeth do best is flat-out shred, and at its finest moments, Watershed howls like the unholy union of Queensryche, Yngwie Malmsteen and Morbid Angel. [Aug 2008, p.166]

The Front Bottoms will soundtrack your life until it's like you've never been without them. [Jun 2013, p.96]

Every aspect of The Resistance: Rise Of The Runaways coming across bigger, harder and just more than their full-length debut, 2012's The Fallout.

An impressive effort. [Nov 2014, p.98]

The British band's frothy, fun mix of samples from public domain educational films and their spunky electronic-infused art pop is taken to new heights on this live album. [Jan 2017, p.83]

This record neatly marries the attitude and energy first heard on Creatures with the industrial beats and vocals they love, making this record the truest representation of the band to date.

Ultimately, The Knife is proof he [John Feldmann] still has plenty left in his own songwriting tank. [Aug 2017, p.82]

Sonically, there’s something incredibly otherworldy and fantastical rooted in Phantom Anthem, making the album translate like an epic poem rather than a collection of songs, both enticing for its cohesion and at times tedious in its redundancy.

Another ostensibly strong album in Joyce Manor's catalog, and one that hopefully doesn't go unfairly overshadowed as well.

The music is as ambitious as the plot, but more coherent. [May 2009, p.116]

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]

Most songs keep to a more humble pace, unfurling slowly and often with surprising beauty. [Aug 2012, p.86]

Surrendering to its strange charms could be one of the smartest decisions you make this year. [Jul 2013, p.106]

For what looks to be a one-off, it's remarkably fleshed out and intricate. [Oct 2008, p.151]

Recalls the band's earliest days. [Apr 2003, p.74]

On Nothing Violates This Nature, the Boston hardcore mob demonstrate once and for all that they’re far more than the sum of their parts. It is also one of the angriest and most violent records you will encounter in 2013.

On paper this may sound bleak--and in many ways, Curse Your Branches is--but ultimately there's a level of solcae in Bazan's sadness that's remarkably reassuring and, stranger yet, satisfying. [Sep 2009, p.106]

Everything here is so enjoyable that it really doesn't matter that the man who helped give birth to the whole lo-fi movement has embraced a certain level of maturity. [March 2001, p.76]

It's still hard to believe that a punk band formed more than 20 years ago are capable of releasing a new album that's both vital and worthy of the promise of their early material.... With Dizzy Spells, the quintet may have topped it all. [#155, p.83]

The music is mostly an interesting hybrid of unlikely elements and naggingly catchy tunes. [Jul 2005, p.186]

America is an even blend of the oddball Deacon you know and the more refined, mature artist he's growing into. [Sep 2012, p.88]

They hold their own with the noisy, angular and often bluesy rock found on Harmonic. [Jun 2012, p.82]