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

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

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]

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

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

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]

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]

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]

An interesting stopover on a journey marked by constant curiosity. [Oct 2019, p.110]

This narrative of self-empowerment might be superficially uplifting but it can also be rather inane, recalling the tween-friendly messages of positivity spread by pop powerhouses like Little Mix. That lightweight lyricism is in contrast to Mahalia's sophisticated sonic palate. [Oct 2019, p.109]

Sorrowful dance and defiant house beats wind throughout, bringing unity to the scattered sounds. [Oct 2019, p.109]

Imperfect but never less than interesting. [Oct 2019, p.110]

This late-period curio isn't one for the purists. ... A patchy affair. [Oct 2019, p.117]

There's more than enough for a killer accompaniment to his book, but as a standalone album, Let love needs a tougher edit. [Oct 2019, p.106]

It's an impressive feat of engineering, but one that anyone other than ardent fans will struggle to find a way into. [Oct 2019, p.114]

eXquire has charisma to burn and the beats are engagingly woozy. But the contrast between eight-minute epic Nothing's What It Seems: Short Film and the sex raps of FCK Boy! and I Love Hoes show that some things never change. [Sep 2019, p.115]

Despite the title's hint at unruly emotion, the surface of Aalegra's music stays as polished as her voice. [Sep 2019, p.108]

Despite the pluming black-metal geyser of Death Drop, it doesn't have the evil heft of 2017 predecessor World Eater. [Sep 2019, p.108]

It mixes experimental sketches and DIY electronica with Animal Collective-like Peel Free's meditation on a life quixotic. At times Aokohio plays like a TV randomly switching channels. [Sep 2019, p.116]

Their first LP in five years falls well short of greatness, reheating past ideas to the point of cliche. [Sep 2019, p.111]

A pretty but very conventional collection of love song. [Sep 2019, p.112]

A highly polished R&B-pop collection about every millennial issue from empowerment and self-love to mental health. [Sep 2019, p.112]

Epton On Broadway Part 1, delivers elastic electro-funk with a knowing Italo-inspired wink. It's a winning formula they never stray far from. [Aug 2019, p.112]

Wiggy, long-sought after 1976 LP utilises the trills, parps and hums of the pre-digital modular synthesizer to walk the circuit board between easy listening and ambient weirdness. [Aug 2019, p.119]