It's on the quieter moments--the lovely Wild, closer I Tried--that Champion finds its emotional sweet spot. [Jan 2020, p.106]

She's delivered an intimate record tailor-made for long wintry nights. [Jan 2020, p.106]

It's their determination to flaunt their multi-instrumental credentials that derails some songs. ... Much more effective is when HMR exercise restraint. [Jan 2020, p.109]

A vigorous, if patchy comeback. [Jan 2020, p.114]

The sheer musical scope means Vagabon resembles a shifting mood piece, tied together not by generic tropes but its creator's singular sensibility. [Jan 2020, p.114]

The result is undeniably lovely, if never truly transcendent. [Jan 2020, p.114]

Anyone wanting more of the multilayered sense of foreboding afforded by 2016's The Glowing Man, Meanwhile, will be delighted by the pulverising Sunfucker and The Hanging Man. [Jan 2020, p.114]

There's a grating tweeness that pushes the saccharine levels far into the red. [Jan 2020, p.113]

Morrison languidly strolls though the light and dark of his past stylistic glories over 14 entirely new self-penned songs. [Jan 2020, p.110]

A thrilling testament to Meredith's seemingly limitless capacity for reinvention. [Jan 2020, p.110]

Smart, affecting and rich in melody, Krystal reveals Maltese to be very much the full ticket. [Jan 2020, p.110]

It's warmly unreal how in thrall he remains to The Beatles, from melodic progressions down to the thwack of drums, but these heartache-powered ballads retain a simple elation at the power of rock'n'roll. [Jan 2020, p.110]

While the proceedings might be more restrained than usual on the '80s hardcore-aping Husker Don't and Sabbath clatter of Halloween 3, if you think Lightning Bolt have softened you're very much mistaken. [Jan 2020, p.110]

Sometimes, the groovier, mellower tracks dull the clarity of the MCs' densely witty lyrics. But when the pair's smart humour and indignant ire is given room to shine, as on the chilly grime of I Spy, they live up to their reputation as two of the UK's foremost rap maestros. [Jan 2020, p.107]

He remains a maestro at the mixing desk, even as the album's split-down-the-middle concept undermines his genre-splicing strengths. [Jan 2020, p.106]

Across the range of these 13 short songs is the sound of a singular musician revelling in his gift. A wonderful return. [Jan 2020, p.106]

For such a heavenly record, an all-star cast makes perfect sense. [Jan 2020, p.108]

It won't give the Foo Fighters sleepless nights, but it's fun while it lasts. [Jan 2020, p.109]

Their parched, skeletal songs, built around simple guitar figures, Appalachian-style harmonies and super-catchy tunes merit a wider audience. [Jan 2020, p.109]

Tindersticks once again turn the spaces and losses into songs of substance. [Jan 2020, p.114]

Posthumous albums tend to sound cobbled together, compromised, missing that vital spark, but this loving father-son dialogue has produced a worthy epilogue to one of music's greatest songbooks. [Jan 2020, p.115]

The result is music any Dylan admirer should get deeply immersed in. [Jan 2020, p.117]

Newly-remixed outtakes reveal Clark's progress and a posh limited-edition box set version gives this excellent album the treatment it deserves. [Dec 2019, p.117]

Actual thrills are in short supply. [Dec 2019, p.114]

Petra's songs have an autumnal quality, wistful yet mellow, with his voice providing the earthy centre. [Dec 2019, p.106]

Akchote can still serve up a dancefloor banger when required. ... Although its on the album's closing track that he discovers the perect balance between artistry and energy, silken-voiced R&B singer Gallant turning Run For Me into a heady EDM ballad that elevates his signature beats to new heights. [Dec 2019, p.115]

The frenzied feel of the record as a whole might scare off some Bloc Party fans, but this is vital, exciting stuff. [Dec 2019, p.113]

A mind-bogglingly diverse four-hour-plus odyssey. ... A stand-alone single-disc sampler featuring 10 DRIFT highlights ranks as Underworld's finest long-player since 1999's Beaucoup Fish. [Dec 2019, p.114]

It's the perfect balance of serious pop and pop that doesn't take itself too seriously. [Dec 2019, p.107]

While partly rooted in grief, the songs here see magic in the mundane, the music's dreamy qualities fracturing into hallucinatory passages of cut-up vocals. [Dec 2019, p.109]

Headphones and a quiet room are essential for capturing the full depth, but the payoff is a sound-world of uncanny resonance. [Dec 2019, p.106]

If this isn't Quite her own trip, she leaves intriguing tracks to follow. [Dec 2019, p.110]

This is a record of real substance. [Dec 2019, p.111]

Four Of Arrows is proof the band can turn on a dime--perhaps they needn't worry about their best songs being ahead of them. [Dec 2019, p.110]

The personal trauma behind pony was evidently tough, but hope has rarely sounded so fresh. [Dec 2019, p.110]

Anicca's luminous take on electronica shows Mandowa still prioritises quality over quantity and features some stellar collaborators. [Dec 2019, p.114]

At times, things feel in danger of being middle of the road, but that's made up for by heavenly moments and voice-of-a-generation lyrcs already drawing comparisons with Lorde. [Dec 2019, p.110]

It's frequently unsettling listen, but never a joyless one. [Dec 2019, p.110]

A solid, if not essential, Desert Sessions return. [Dec 2019, p.109]

Where other ambient artists can veer dangerously close to musak, Frahm always brims with invention. [Dec 2019, p.109]

With the exception of I've Got Reason, the ripsnorting garage rock that enlivened his earlier work has disappeared. Instead, the likes of Shelter and Show Me veer towards ponderous MOR. [Dec 2019, p.109]

Sensual melancholy is a mood but Cry occasionally needs another one or two up its heart adorned sleeve. [Dec 2019, p.106]

Playing almost everything himself, his command of sounds and styles feels masterful, seamlessly gliding between MOR-ish pop funk, stacks of gothic choral harmonies and the dreamy future-psych of Tame Impala. [Dec 2019, p.106]

It's the renewed sense of urgency and bubblegum appeal--see Live 'Til I Die--which ensures that Prof Hawkins's musical multiverse is still a thrilling place. [Dec 2019, p.109]

Dawson's vision is exceptional; his sound is harder to follow. [Dec 2019, p.109]

Packed with mesmerising detail yet powerful enough to dance to, the result is electronic music that radiates intelligence and emotion. [Dec 2019, p.109]

He lets the currents take it where they will, from the churning tumult of The Wave to the cresting, Bon Iver-ish Broken. [Dec 2019, p.113]

Sadly much of this record is stuck in the shallows. [Dec 2019, p.114]

Building on 2015's explosive comeback album Freedom, War Music offers further proof that the gamble paid off, with Blood Red mixing Marxist doctrine and surging riffs to stunning effect. [Dec 2019, p.114]

It resonates with the kind of high seriousness that never weighed on his father. Still, the younger Jeffes brings a winning feel for modern, post-ambient arrangements. [Dec 2019, p.113]

Memory Streams is the sound of a band locked in a classy holding pattern. [Dec 2019, p.113]

More of these slinky, emotional outpourings please. [Dec 2019, p.113]

Throughout, the Horse prove their value over more polished ensembles, powering these naive constructs to a pure transcendent realm. [Dec 2019, p.113]

Gorgeous, grief-stricken LP. [Dec 2019, p.108]

A gloriously adrenalised return to form. [Dec 2019, p.106]

Magnificent. ... Kiwanuka rewards your commitment from the first second to the last. [Dec 2019, p.104]

It's addictively brilliant. [Nov 2019, p.108]

The two parts of Everything Not Saved Will be Lost aren't quite the work of radical genius that Foals probably think they are, but they're bolder and more adventurous than a lot of those million other bands could manage. [Nov 2019, p.106]

Starcrawler might be known as a great live band, with de Wilde spitting, screaming and high-kicking her way through their confrontational gigs, but with Devour You prove they're every bit as impressive on record too. [Nov 2019, p.116]

Garvey sounds different, too, willing to sit with his fears rather than chase them away with optimism and charm. ... It's all the more moving because Elbow have taken such a raw, self-questioning route to get there. [Nov 2019, p.113]

There's a real elegance, even a joy, to the way he mixes his dark materials. [Nov 2019, p.112]

As with a lot of their work it can occasionally lack bite, some fire in their impeccably tasteful bellies. [Nov 2019, p.108]

The main distinction is the relative lack of spellbinding melodies. [Nov 2019, p.108]

It feels hungry, modern and thrilling. [Nov 2019, p.111]

The result is a success as both an artistic statement and a mea culpa. [Nov 2019, p.108]

There's timeless wit and energy here. [Nov 2019, p.111]

Like a lot of world music, it probably has niche appeal, although Soroor's voice is beautifully expressive. [Nov 2019, p.112]

Keeping up with his often logic-defying wordplay can be a challenge. But the payoff is a startling insight into how the world looks from the inside one of hip-hop's most original and consistently inventive minds. [Nov 2019, p.110]

Ode To Joy shivers on this ledge between defiance and dissolution. Despite Tweedy's fears, it turns out more Wilco music is exactly what's needed. [Nov 2019, p.117]

All Mirrors strikes an impressive balance between familiar and strange - resulting in an album that's startling and breathtakingly beautiful. [Nov 2019, p.109]

The shimmering versions of past highlights and the exhilarating title track offer a fascinating glimpse of where Coltrane was headed next. [Nov 2019, p.119]

Abbey Road showed The Beatles at the very peak of their collective powers. ... It's certainly not the sound of a band who were sick of the sight of one another. This is something echoed in the unreleased takes and demos included here. [Nov 2019, p.119]

This is the sound of a man doing exactly what he wants, rather than what everyone expects and it's totally compelling. [Nov 2019, p.115]

The sonic invention---fast-cuts between moods and styles, washy layers of aural colours--never gets in the way of the songs and the result is a triumph. [Nov 2019, p.116]

Moon Duo have eclipsed their previous best here. [Nov 2019, p.115]

It's cleverly and passionately done. [Nov 2019, p.112]

It's an occasional return to their punk roots, more often smoothed over by the glistening pop production they've been known for more recently. [Nov 2019, p.116]

If the instrumentals can occasionally feel a little lounge-comfy, Turn To Clear view is ample proof of why UK jazz's horizons keep expanding. [Nov 2019, p.108]

Nice, but probably inessential. [Nov 2019, p.111]

It's a punishing listen. ... But this is not a record for the faint-hearted. [Nov 2019, p.111]

Startling, gorgeous and illuminating, The Practice Of Love sees Hval continue to stretch the parameters of pop. [Nov 2019, p.111]

JPEGMAFIA's flashes of brilliance are obscured by a bloated tracklist, but they're worth digging out. [Nov 2019, p.111]

Cause & Effect plays to their strengths. [Nov 2019, p.112]

Less immediate than her band work, it's a record that is rewarding and quietly revelatory. [Nov 2019, p.112]

She's still in her element luxuriating in that crisis point where comfort is soured by paranoia. ... Relative stability suits her just fine. [Nov 2019, p.112]

Clever, if a little monotonous; very much an LP for our times. [Nov 2019, p.112]

A fascinating new direction. [Nov 2019, p.115]

A thing of meditative beauty. [Nov 2019, p.115]

Eve is a hip-hop delight. [Nov 2019, p.115]

It often feels as if Aitchison's nasal croon and counter-intuitive toplines are the least interesting bits of her own project. [Nov 2019, p.116]

Really, though, he's at his best when he tones down the act. [Nov 2019, p.108]

Jamie is a thrilling first step into her future. [Oct 2019, p.106]

OHMME add depth to the harmonies on seven of the 10 songs and the overall sense is of five people as excited by playing together as they were at their first rehearsal nine years ago. [Oct 2019, p.114]

There's something transcendent about the former hardcore kid and the musicians he assembles for Hiss Golden Messenger, this time featuring Aaron Dessner of The National and Jenny Lewis. [Oct 2019, p.106]

The Return may feel long and complex, but time and space reveal a unique new voice. [Oct 2019, p.113]

With Fender's vocals soaring over skyscraper guitars and choruses that accelerate into a surging, full-throttle blast, it's hard not to imagine the stadium potential of these songs. There's a power in their marriage of beauty and disgruntlement, towering moments that recall '80s U2 or Simple Minds. [Oct 2019, p.115]

It's all very pleasant, but a lot of it does drift past without leaving much of an impression. [Oct 2019, p.106]

A little too straightforward. [Oct 2019, p.110]