I Love You Dude is offensive in its banality, and other than that it's so mundane that it's tough to even want to care.

Raekwon returns with material to please both generations of his fans.

There's a great EP's worth of material hiding within Replicants, and I wish it had stayed that way.

Guaranteed both to amuse and to confuse, Ten$ion is a masterpiece of kitsch: an intently provocative, tongue-in-cheek rave-rap record, by a cryptic performance art group.

Lasers is more an indictment of the state of mainstream rap than anything. This is the absolute worst-case scenario of what can happen when commerce is placed above art, and in this instance it's especially offensive because Lupe is someone who doesn't need to bend over backward to be accessible.

The levels of electronics that come in and out subtly, but skilfully, on the album's best songs are an indication of how much time Jason Drake has put into them. It's just a shame that this shines light more intensely on the songs where he didn't.

The most disappointing aspect about Syd Tha Kid's delivery is her inability to create a remotely compelling protagonist - something Odd Future members have proved themselves more than capable of doing.

Who knows whether the notoriously megalomaniacal Jackson would approve of this album-people on both sides of that argument have valid points-but as a start-to-finish collection of songs it's more enjoyable and less filler-stuffed than anything he's released since Bad, a minor miracle given the circumstances.

[The songs'] punchiness and repetitiveness can quickly get on one's nerves, depending on your disposition.

Unfortunately it's largely downhill from here [after opener "Silence"].

As compelling as their musicianship may be conceptually, it rarely goes the distance on Remembrance of Things to Come.

It seems as though the band has completely forgotten to keep up with music in the years they've been off, instead producing some of the most banal songs by any rock band in recent memory.

There is no common thread, no thematic continuity and no real obvious reason behind any decision-making. It's an EP that is bound to raise the age-old philosophical question, "What is an EP for?"

The whole thing comes off as either an expensive major label joke or nigh-impenetrable high art concept. Maybe both.