Behind the hype and the swagger, he's still baring enough of his soul for The Eminem Show to be compelling theatre. [Aug 2002, p.118]

All the usual Madness fixtures are present--the jaunty ska-meets-Motown rhythms, the tricksy chromatic chord changes, the well-crafted narratives. What much of the album lacks is any kind of heart. [Dec 2016, p.32]

If at times it's a little too knowing for its own good, the music itself is less claustrophobic than before. [Nov 2007, p.121]

In short, a glittering sign reading "business as usual"--even if it’s not a return to adventurous Kylie gold.

Canning's default setting is a distorted, drone-laden, melodic indie rock that recalls My Bloody Valentine or Sonic Youth, but he also goes off on some interesting tangents. [Oct 2008, p.81]

A hazy, boozy affair that threatens to collapse at any time but is buoyed by good-times psychedelic pub-rock chuugers. [Oct 2008, p.105]

Despite the odd dreamy detour into girl-group psych-pop, this slender 10-tracker is bulked out with a little too much autopilot retro-kitsch filler. [May 2016, p.79]

The results are almost too intimate to bear. [Jun 2018, p.33]

A little may go a long way with Telepathe, but there's enough variety here to reward repeated listening.

It sometimes feels a little pedestrian, though Jurado excels when upping the pace. [Jun 2018, p.28]

Bits and pieces, even within the album's successful tracks, are overcooked and threatens to capsize the project into mere camp or noodly instrumental preening. [Feb 2011, p.91]

City Awakenings mostly retains the meatier arrangements of MacIntyre's solo work. [Feb 2012, p. 92]

Phil Manley's first solo album presents as a homage to the spirit and sound of mid-'70s German Electronic rock. [Feb 2011, p.90]

There's still a tendency to over-emote with superfluous melisma. But when she's at her starkest and most haunting, accompanied by little more than Beste's piano on "Faded" and "Leave You In Yesterday," she hits the spot unerringly. [Sep 2016, p.76]

With a bit of self-pruning, a bit MORE risk and space in the production, he might have TRULY self-reinvented. [May 2002, p.90]

Argentinian rockers Los Enanitos Verdes turn "Travelin' Band" into a turbocharged burst of bilingual tropical rockabilly, and Spanish singing star Bunbury adds a thrilling salsa dance workout to "Corre Por La Jungla." [Nov 2016, p.40]

The spread, encompassing piano and mellotron, is pretty; the songs rather maudlin. [Sep 2013, p.85]

The prevalent mood is somewhat dour, and the loss of Steve Shelley blunts some of the dynamism in Disappears' dogged repetitions. [Nov 2013, p.69]

Some of the arrangements are busier than they need to be. [Mar 2012, p.89]

The lungs are in good shape here. [Sep 2009, p.86]

Across the record's 12 tracks, it's never entirely clear what the group are aiming for: anthemic indie rock by numbers, more introspective songs or something heavier. [Sep 2019, p.26]

NIO seem more intent on gazing at shoes than stars. [Apr 2004, p.92]

[French Touch] feels like a soft option. Yet there's no denying the chic sophistication with she delivers stripped-down versions of hits associated with Patsy Cline, The Rolling Stones, Tammy Wynette, Lou Reed, Depeche Mode, the Clash and Abba. [Nov 2017, p.24]

A collection that feels more art project than album. [Nov 2012, p.71]

This is folk music given the widescreen treatment and a crisp, modern sheen. [Oct 2011, p.91]

Where the album suffers, however--especially in comparision to the Jenny Lewis record--is the absence of any real lyrical verve or personality. [Aug 2008, p.94]

It's a concept album about vengeance and contempt, and reminds that they're one of the only UK bands of their era still worth following. [June 2008, p.86]

The sheer depth of ideas is impressive, but the result is exhausting. [Jun 2020, p.33]