Slightly less lo-fi than previous efforts--although as it blends together Slayer, Japanese noisecore and warp-speed prog intricacy, sound recording fidelity is a relative concept. [5 Nov 2005, p.45]

Believe the hype, this is even better than 'Ray Of Light.' [12 Nov 2005, p.45]

A disorientatingly great mess of free-jazz, space-rock and voodoo swamp music. [10 Dec 2005, p.37]

A monster of a record. [4 Mar 2006, p.31]

[Has] the unmistakable feel of an instant classic. [28 Jan 2006, p.34]

The wonder of 'Stars...' is how magnificently alive all this suburban angst sounds.

There's no possible way of having this much fun without getting the chorus of Handel's 'Messiah' drunk on peach schnapps. [4 Feb 2006, p.29]

Thank you very much, Mr Rubin--The Man In Black is still with us. [1 Jul 2006, p.36]

Muse have made a ridiculous, overblown, ambitious and utterly brilliant album, with more thrills than their previous three put together.

Odd, addictive, unsettling and beautiful. [8 Jul 2006, p.41]

There's going to be a hearty scrap between this lot, Muse and the Monkeys when album of the year time comes round.

This is one to file alongside 'American Idiot', 'Doolittle' and 'Nevermind' on your greatest US rock albums shelf.

Put simply, this is fantasy pop, performed to perfection.

Even the most hardcore disciple is likely to get something they might have missed before. [21 Oct 2006, p.35]

Their best yet.

A record with the bleak-yet-redemptive spirit of REM's 'Automatic For The People' and the musical magnificence of a 'Deserter's Songs'. But also a record that - as much as 'London Calling' or 'What's Going On' - holds a deep, dark, truthful Black Mirror up to our turbulent times.

'Myths Of The Near Future' is charged with the same spirit which fuelled legendary rave pranksters The KLF's period of pop subversion.

By turns brooding and effervescent, but always outrageous fun, 'Writer's Block' is a compact minor classic.

The most doubter-defying second album since 'Modern Life Is Rubbish'.

'Icky Thump' is brilliant, there's no way around that.

Let's Stay Friends arrives as a startling cannon-shot message of brain-thawing intent.

Sonically, it was staggering.

This is an album of genuine depth, one expressing the nervous conservative shockwaves which charge through party kids once they start to come down.

The Seldom Seen Kid is a stunning record, a career-best from a band whose consistency has seldom been matched by any British indie band this decade.

That it’s Portishead’s best album yet is little short of miraculous.

Stay Positive not only confirms The Hold Steady’s status as one of the best rock’n’roll bands in the world, but establishes them as one of its most important too.

So believe it: this is the real thing, no-one’s crying wolf, not even Alan McGee.