This latest peculiar twist in the Bunnymen saga affirms the songs resilience, as well as the virtue of bravery. When the new versions mimic their predecessors, the project feels redundant. [Nov 2018, p.93]

Any fears that Deaner may have matured during his absence are summarily nipped in the bud by the most puerile collection of ditties since, well, Ween. [Jan 2017, p.94]

Thile's creations rarely boast a singalong factor, but deliver on terms of sheer musicality. [Feb 2018, p.98]

The growling menace of his [Jake Smith's] delivery is enough to command your attention and keep you believing. [Oct 2012, p.83]

Western and Middle Eastern influences collide in a glitchy and rhythmically experimental union. [May 2016, p.96]

The awe fades quickly as this album progresses. [Jun 2003, p.100]

Tucker has created an album that should endear her to those who still raise the outlaw flag while also appealing to hard-edged pop-tinged rock believers. [Oct 2019, p.83]

The material is uneven. [Jun 2014, p.95]

The warm glow that they engender is palpable, but you do wonder what may happen if The Field broke free from the constraints of the loop. [Jan 2012, p.99]

Corgan's floatier tunes and chocolate-box lyrics actually suit this sound palette well, but, as so often in pop - and Corgan's - history, a 10-track single LP would've nailed it better. [Jan 2021, p.86]

For all their assiduous construction and heartfelt subject matter, Sheff's songs struggle to match the abundant hook-line quotient of his youthful influences and inspiration. [Nov 2013, p.88]

Something about Jet doesn't quite ring true. [Dec 2006, p.106]

This is a unified album. [Oct 2012, p.91]

Hello Happiness is indeed groove heavy, but gives too little for a singer of Chaka's ability to, well, sing - which is a shame, because on the occasions she does find space to stretch out her soaring voice seems to have retained its strength, tone and power. [Mar 2019, p.96]

Traces lines to both Bill Callahan's downbeat philosophising and Jonathan Richman's crafted wit and primal rock'n'roll chug. [Nov 2023, p.94]

While Desert Skies' fusion of '60s country-rock with '90s underground dynamics doesn't move ass deeply as 2001's sublime Once We Were Trees, its peaks prove Beachwood Sparks' early days are worth investigating. [Jan 2014, p.103]

The assured Eating Us proves that distractions aren't necessary. [Jul 2009, p.93]

Develop the creepy incantations into songs and they might really grab some shirtfronts. [Jul 2009, p.107]

The overall feeling, despite all the musical mix'n'matching is of a traditional record: a rootsy return, rather than a copy of a certain Canadian seven-piece art-rock racket. [Jul 2009, p.105]

Pugnacious indie squares up to all-comers. [Feb. 2011, p. 106]

To be fair, Sharpe, a dramatic alter-ego for leader/singer Alex Ebert, does corral a few tunes infectious enough to last the distance on Broadway. [Sep 2009, p.90]

Their ability to switch up styles at will can prove a little wearing, giving an uneven feel to an otherwise startling debut. [May 2012, p.83]

Brilliantly produced and performed, rather than astoundingly well written. [Jun 2004, p.112]

The best moments find Deerhoof unadulterated, like the angular tropicalia of Begin Countdown, or drummer Greg Saunier's Prefab Sprout-like Ay That's Me. [Oct 2017, p.94]

Looting a Smithsy guitar line for Winter In The Hamptons or aping Steve McQueen-era Prefab Sprout on My Love Has Gone momentarily lifts Rouse's gloom, but it is scant relief from the stillness at Nashville's core. [Mar 2005, p.106]

[Doesn't] always make satisfactory listening. [Dec 2005, p.104]

Clapton's playing is still fluid. [Oct 2005, p.98]

Unlimited Love's sprawling 17 tracks almost inevitably include a few free-spirited missteps, with Aquatic Mouth dance and poster Child getting stuck in a groove. Nevertheless, an impressive consolidation of their strengths. [May 2022, p.89]