Built To Spill sound as if they're trying too hard, and ultimately both The Flaming Lips and Mercury Rev do this sort of thing with far more panache.

The Grocery [is] riveting. If Manchester Orchestra are guilty of being a tad too serene elsewhere, it must also be noted that sounding beautiful is a good problem to have. [Sep 2017, p.113]

Occassionally the set suffers from too much studio polish and not enough grit. [Jan 2009, p.116]

Only the very dedicated need apply. [Jun 2009, p.119]

Precisely assembled, melodic songs that shiver with emotion. [Sep 2006, p.107]

Akin to Manu Chao backed by The Go Team!, fortunately it's no one-off. [Nov 2008, p.117]

A rugged, roaring listen. [Oct 2011, p.117]

The spark that made initial albums such as Bug so special is still missing. [May 2007, p.123]

The whole thing is a bit of a grower and a tentative flex in a new direction with just about enough of their old sound to keep fans happy. [Mar 2017, p.111]

Trying to find a sense of humour amidst the walloping woe is exhausting. [Aug 2009, p.107]

What makes it even more interesting is that the themes and execution are unashamedly grown-up throughout. [Oct 2014, p.116]

Despite moments of brilliance, at 15 songs long the self-obsession sometimes grates. [May 2012, p.108]

They have turned in their most conventional set of songs yet. [Sep 2007. p.95]

Was [Nothing's Real] worth the wait? At points, yes. [Aug 2016, p.117]

It was produced by Blink-182's Mark Hoppus, a fact evident within five seconds of opener, "Worker Bee." [May 2010, p.126]

A cut high above your usual tankard-on-the-belt stuff. [Jul 2014, p.103]

It's hard to imagine Jurvanen can outpace his boss, but he's doing just fine. [Oct 2014, p.103]

For better or worse, this is exactly how you'd expect the third Leftfield album to sound. [Jul 2015, p.107]

At its worst (Jealousy Is A Powerful Emotion), he's overwrought and stodgy. More often, though, Draper is an unceasingly self-lacerating lyricist unafraid to deal with his past. [Oct 2017, p.103]

While taken individually each song has its merits, as a whole, Spook The Herd is disappointing musically, with nothing rising out of the politely artful haze to truly engage. [Apr 2020, p.111]

Fake is rearranging his sound rather than reinventing it. [Jul 2020, p.109]

What Mew have come up with here is a gently twinkling Mercury Rev-ish album of experimental percussive nonsense and occassional jazz-like noodling that somehow manage to hypnotise even while they irritate. [Oct 2009, p.114]

Desperation proves that only modest mellowing has taken place in the interim. [Aug 2013, p.103]

By absorbing some of the best bits of The Beach Boys, Super Furry Animals and, at times, Dexy's Midnight Runners, Gorky's Zygotic Mynci have made the perfect album for a breezy, summer afternoon.

There's a thin line between quirky powerpop and being They Might Be Giants. [Feb 2004, p.106]

Like its predecessor, In The Mode is a sprawling tour-de-force, and its 80 minutes contain much that is breathtaking alongside the pleasant if perfunctory. [Nov 2000, p. 112]

A live document of his wildly acclaimed 2008 tour, Glitter And Doom further amplifies that uniqueness, backed up by an entire second disc of surreal storytelling. [Jan 2010, p. 126]

The mood of their music often feels a little stuck, though. [Oct 2012, p.100]