Hit After Hit still features lots of reverb and wry, repetitive lyrics, but the production is more sophisticated and subtle. [May 2011, p.86]

Unkempt and heartfelt, Terrible Human Beings shows The Orwells have promise and is a fun joy ride while you're on it. You just may not feel compelled to repeat the ride very often.

The album's highlights are many, further proving that Stephin Merritt is one of the finest songwriters alive. He simply needed an editor this time around.

Somewhere along the way, though, the emotions fail to match up, or the song structures that always sound so familiar fail to separate themselves from what's come before.

Trash Talk continue with not reinventing the wheel, and they do so effectively--it grinds, it pummels, and it's tailor-made for another generation of youth to get their circle pit on.

As an EP running at about 16 and a half minutes, Panic of Looking's brevity acts as a drawback; just as you're beginning to really soak it in, the EP suddenly reaches its conclusion.

Arguably the album's biggest weakness is that its muffled, messy production doesn't lend itself to the best songs. Still, these guys are just kids and their potential makes them likeable enough.

Violet Cries is an intriguing collection from a young band that already seems poised to build away from its influences. [Feb. 2011, p. 71]

The things the band does right on this album make it worth checking out, but hopefully next time around Warpaint will be able to keep the songwriting as consistently great throughout as the beginning and ending songs.

It'd be nice if they'd push themselves a bit harder to break some new stylistic ground, as with a sound like this compelling, it's obvious that they aren't lacking in sheer imagination and songwriting talent to do so. [Spring 2010, p.63]

Where the album falls short is with the incessant and often redundant ballads. [#13, p.88]

Far from a dud, and most definitely something that will divide audiences rather than be seen as a unanimous failure or success, In Fernaux nevertheless reveals itself to be the work of an artist that appears to be enduring a period of reflection, rather than looking forward to the future.

They may have another breakthrough and forward leap again, but even if they don't, the comfort zone they've found still sounds pretty damn good. [Summer 2010, p.89]

While not bringing many surprises, it will please existing fans and win more than a few new ones. [Spring 2009, p.64]

Break It Up is more Blondie than Black Flag. [Fall 2009, p.60]

This Land might not be a huge success. Some parts of the 16-song album are cheesy ("Feeling Like a Million"), too lyrically aggressive ("This Land"), or lacking innovation ("Low Down Rolling Stone"). However, few guitarists can consistently play notes this high, and do so with such quality. Clark Jr. can really rip a solo—that's his appeal to listeners—and a few more of those guitar extensions would have done This Land better.

There's a doomed pall hanging over much of Teenage and Torture. [Year End 2010, p.75]

Alas, most of Market's tracks work more as sound experiements than actual songs. [Fall 2009, p.62]

On Back To Forever, the music fits better; here, Lissie has found the music to match her vocal gift. [Aug-Sep 2013, p.92]

Listeners may scratch their heads over the album in whole; but open minds will discover that the beauty of the standalone tracks saves The 2nd Law from total combustion.

What the record-buying public arguably doesn’t need is an EP that sounds a little rough around the edges, lasts for precisely 12 minutes, 4 seconds. ... But wait, there are moments of brilliance on the rest.

This tantalizingly brief EP will please fans if The Blow, MGMT, and Hot Chip. [Fall 2008, p.88]

At times, the sheer busyness of the album’s songs prevents the listener from becoming fully immersed. [Winter 2008, p.82]

Despite coming across as borderline pastiche, Indigo Meadow's reproduction of throwback sounds comes from a genuine place. [Mar-Apr 2013, p.90]

Throughout, Canning aspires to the rousing anthems that have made Broken Social Scene one of the best acts of the last decade, but he falls short. He’s certainly not a lemon in the BSS product line; he’s just an underwhelming model. [Summer 2008]

Though Shame, Shame succeeds more than it fails, it also exposes how difficult it's going to be for Dr. Dog to truly create a masterpiece. [Sping 2010, p.69]

The album has a hard time being anything other than an experiment. [#9]

Dear Science, spends its 50 minutes in flux between several worlds, none of them particularly memorable. [Fall 2008, p.78]