Revamp is a mixed bag. Several of the artists here take chances with the tunes, and at times are wildly successful. ... When things are bad, however, they are bad.

The whole album is tinged just as much by melancholy as it is by hopeful optimism.

Fellow Travelers was never intended as more than a stopgap release between records; that said, it's hardly as essential as any of Shearwater's self-penned albums.

This synthesizer-driven collection leaves you wondering why the male duo can't just recruit an awesome female to hit the notes with gusto and leave behind the airy vocals. [Dec 2014, p.90]

For an artist whose past two albums were as impeccably curated as they were produced, the non-cohesiveness of Miss Anthropocene is bit of a disappointment, in spite of the record’s highlights.

Unfortunately, The Big Roar can't sustain the love affair over 12 tracks. [May 2011, p.85]

Player Piano was received coolly for its lack of ambition and it's depressing to hear a follow-up that stubbornly refuses to learn from Memory Tapes' mistakes.

Bundick can't seem to escape the downward pull toward conformity, fizzy production taking a back seat to bland pronouncements about love and yes, another damn hype man. [Jan-Feb 2013, p.90]

Van Weezer is in part saved to some degree by virtue of the fact Cuomo does still have a fine ear for a melody and an ability to craft whopping great choruses. The problem is he’s been ploughing the same musical furrow with increasingly diminishing returns for the best part of the last decade.

[Olivia Merilahti's] talent is mostly wasted, though, as the album's highlights (including sparkling lead single "Despair, Hangover and Ecstasy") simply can't justify the bland, overdone sound proliferating most of the tracklist.

Races struggle hard with noteworthiness, which is a bit of a death knell in this day and age.

Nothing here is must=-hear, but true fans will enjoy sorting through of Montreal's influences and musical thought process as they prepare for the next full-length album. [May 2011, p.85]

Tom Holkenborg returns with a dance album that's likely to appeal to the 13-year-old videogamer. [Spring 2008, p.88]

If this had been an EP of a handful of tracks, it could have been stunning, but it's a record that frustrates and bores much more than it touches.

The individual songs themselves aren't altogether horrible; they're just too similar to the next one to make an impression. [#9]

In A Space Outta Sound spits some pretty standard jazzy hip-hop sounds, but for a lazy Sunday afternoon it could serve as a funky, stony soundtrack. [#13, p.98]

The melodies are still sweet and her voice us still shrewd, but Orangefarben gets in its own way too much to cut deeply. [Jun 2012, p.155]

Haiku From Zero is fine filler for a late-night dance party, but we can't fathom reaching for this album as often as those prior-too much of it borders on forgettable

In their effort to defy categorization by creating sonic pastiches from fragments of widely varying genres, along with their aversion to capitalization, they too often stray from creating compelling processed sound portraits such as “Dark blue” and instead end up with bristly and frazzled sketches, rendering the album as an auditory adventure will neither wow the listener nor will it disappoint.

This is as rootsy as SoCal gets, but the originals are stiill more satisfying. [Fall 2008, p.89]

The rehashed sound is tight and does a decent job of refining the genre. [Jan-Feb 2013, p.93]

He's better at style than substance. [Winter 2009, p.79]

It's a nice try, but the collection proves that ultimately, Gainsbourg shines more in the studio than on the stage.

High-pitched vocals and crazy rhythms are in store for those adventurous enough to dive in. [Winter 2009, p.78]

Repetition robbed of progression; themes are lobbed at the listener ad nauseum, until the whole thing is downgraded from "danceable" to "wallpaper."

Digs aside, Ringo Deathstarr could probably stand on its own if it wanted to. [May 2011, p.86]

These ten songs are mostly slight variations on a sonic theme, but it sure is a hauntingly pretty one. [Winter 2009]

A safe, professional record that... just doesn't sound authentic in any way. [#16, p.93]

At 15 tracks, pom pom is a bit of a funhouse slog; too malevolent and toxic to really get close to.

While Worship occasionally soars on its own beautiful anonymity, it misses the bar set by a line of charismatic frontmen who exposed themselves through compelling narratives.

Although Perfect Darkness offers nothing new, for fans of Fink's distinctive approach to extreme unplugged delivery, it hits the spot.

Only occasionally on a track like "Ternary" does Haley manage to land deeper cuts with a drifting, introspective piece that winds down and starts up again, hinting at dancefloor potential before stepping back at the last moment. It works; there's just not enough of it elsewhere on Iteration.

Ultimately this is a record that fades into the background for almost its entire running time. [Sep/Oct 2014, p.81]

Ultimately, while Jimmy Eat World doesn't exactly break new ground on Invented, they have proven to be a band continually willing to challenge themselves while delivering the same sonic push and pull their fans expect.

While the quartet’s earlier efforts maintained a shoegazey vibe, that’s mostly been abandoned this time around in favor of more straightforward (and less interesting) songwriting. [Year End 2008]

Together has its moments, but it's a disappointment for such a justifiably lauded band [Spring 2010, p.65]

Despite its evocative title of raw sinewy snarl, Mountain Battles is, sadly, a narcoleptic disappointment. [Spring 2008, p.74]

It's no surprise that the album feels rushed and convoluted. [Spring 2010, p.62]

David Vandervelde's latest full-length, Waiting For The Sunrise, is a a warm, comfortable, '70s AM radio throwback, layered with organs, reverb, and smoky heartbreak. [Fall 2008, p.84]

While there are similar moments of brilliance [such as album closer Chrome Country] buried away, their fleeting existence only serves to underline what could have been. [Aug-Sep 2013, p.92]

The tunes wash over nicely, but ultimately fail to endear the listener. [Oct 2011, p97]

For the most part, the record never gets off the ground the way good bedroom psychedelia should. [Summer 2009, p.60]

While Taylor's voice is more adventurous than ever, it seems that the music hasn't quite caught up.

There are glimmers of the band that went before. [Aug-Sep 2013, p.130]

If not excellent then at least vaguely enticing. [Feb-Apr 2019, p.84]

His voice remains as compelling and as seductive as ever, but the music is unrecognizable, moving firmly into the territory of smooth jams and synthetic beats.

With its unsettling synthesizers and ghostly echoes, these crafty beats capture America's shattereed psyche far more gracefully than Lif's hyperbolic diatribes. [Spring 2009, p.77]

It's not a bad LP, more a case of diminishing returns. [Sep/Oct 2014, p.81]

There are moments of minor success (mostly in the first half), but these are moments that rely the least on samples, retracing some of Returnal's dark, boundless, ambient journeys. [Oct. 2011, p. 113]

The rest of Hello Sadness, however, finds the band drifting into less familiar territory, with mixed results. [Oct 2011, p.101]

Morello handles these stark songs with the calm confidence and strong conviction that bears the mark of a man who has spent his share of time on the front lines. [Summer 2007, p.91]

An oddball experimental pop record... Cheers for sticking with a concept, just a bummer it didn't add up to its aspirations. [Mar 2012, p.88]

It's still a solid first LP, but with two or three less ho-hum songs it might have been something pretty special.

The wild abandon, lo-fi to the point of being muffled style is Butter's main appeal. It is also its downfall. [Aug/Sep 2012, p.122]

While Om is seeking some sort of transcendence through music, God is Good takes far too long to get started, rendering the second half too little too late.

Johnson's fourth solo album, A Wonderful Beast, is a lethargic attempt at a slowcore dance album.

Jones' ruinous voice brings the otherwise ascendant The Evening Descends toward a dark and inhospitable night. [Winter 2008, p.81]

The record practically bludgeons the listener with playfulness, becoming the rarest of indie-rock birds:a record (and a band) that begs for more self-seriousness. [Fall 2008, p.78]

It's nothing groundbreaking, and at times seems nothing more than a friendly jam session between pals. [Oct 2011, p.101]

Serviceable for the most part, Nightingale nevertheless sounds dated. [Oct. 2011, p. 113]

She finds too many ways to distract from her voice elsewhere. [Nov-Dec 2013, p.99]

Their third, self-titled, full-length finds the band unable to rise out of their own formulas.

A bland instrumental and production aesthetic... clips the wings off her good-intentioned melodies. [#11, p.113]

Few bands can build more out of disparate parts than Animal Collective; they’re like The A-Team of music, fashioning something useful out of a pile of junk. Sometimes, however, they find too much pleasure in leaving the mess a slightly spruced-up mess and burying their tuneful sensibilities. [Summer 2008]

The songs on Ghost On Ghost are not as strong as those from his past. [Mar-Apr 2013, p.92]

While the inclusion of cover songs proves that Millan's writing abilities are more than adequate--or at least adequate enough to stand amongst her peers-- it inadvertently highlights how her delivery leaves something to be desired.

There are a few gorgeous acoustic arrangements, but it only really clicks when it's leaning more toward the former ("Black Moss," "Noise") than the latter.

Too many tracks are loosely arranged with sparse instrumentation and a sunshiny, but laid back, lounge-y jazz vibe. Most rely on a start/stop, soft/loud aesthetic that wears thin quickly and makes it seem as if these are demos as opposed to fleshed out songs. [Sep-Nov 2019, p.134]

While still incredibly beautiful, the addition of a choir in the first half has neutered much of the duo's original appeal. [Summer 2010, p.81]

Overall the sound is deadened by indecisive production that tries to highlight everything at once. The heights don’t sound as high as they should. [Year End 2008]

Debelle's sound loses a level of what made it so unique [in her debut] by moving from the jazzy, instrumental accompaniment to rapping over more digital beats. [Mar 2012, p.88]

The result is like listening to the next (or any) Mogwai record. [#7]

If it's a call to arms then it fails to churn the necessary emotional juices to deliver it. What we do have, however, is a serviceable space for venting our contemporary anxieties, which in and of itself can be a healing experience. Ultimately, if you're struggling with the political realities of the day, Algiers are in it together with you, and that alone will be enough for some.

The album is plagued by overcooked production, and these are the type of songs--confessional, despairing--that are best served rare. [#5, p.114]

We want the glory of Nowhere and parts of Going Blank Again. It is apparent that this is what Ride are aiming for but it's going to take more than what Weather Diaries has to offer.

Pleasing yes, divine, occasionally--but Here Lies Love's strengths aren't enough to justify its bloated 22 tracks. [Spring 2010, p.69]

Things are spacier than usual on the first six tracks, and there's not much melody to be found. But things cohere a bit on side two.

It's basically the same stuff over and over again, but never with the same impact as the first three. [Summer 2008, p.90]

The songs of Love & Desperation come across as enthusiastically crafted tunes, if ultimately seeming like a period piece. [Spring 2010, p.71]

The 11 upbeat, noisy tracks just fly by at under 30 minutes, but there are some notable highlights.

With Wilderness Heart, Black Mountain has narrowed their focus too much. [Summer 2010, p.77]

Banned’s air of experimentation mixed with the artists’ ardent eccentricities fails to materialize into much worth noting.

Think strummed guitars over whale songs and barely audible vocals for about 40 minutes. [#9]

It's nice to hear fresh songs that won't automatically connect an ad-addled brain with Disaronna (yet). [Spring 2009, p.77]

At its worst, Around is as random as its title, featuring indulgent noodling, song sketches and intros more than actual songs. [#13, p.89]

Teenage Fanclub sounds positively content, and even tranquil. It's not the worst fate for a group of rock lifers, but it doesn't make for the most compelling listening.

The record suffers from a lack of focus, with Haynes' almost passionless vocals adding little to the sometimes overly fussy arrangements. [Winter 2008, p.82]

After the sparse and pretty "Bedfellows Farewell," which offers a tender counterpoint to virtually every other song on the album, Academy quickly loses steam.

As for the album as a whole, Sweet and Hoffs are consummate professionals and they dutifully bring their best; however, they have yet to answer the question of why one should listen to their versions instead of the originals.

You want it to be better, to infuse some of the precision and fire of those [proto-industrial 80's] predecessors - but it lags. [Mar 2012, p.87]

The Bedlam In Goliath ultimately sounds like The Mars Volta, nothing more and nothing less. [Winter 2008, p.83]

Smooth, saucy, and seducing it surely is. But still, with the name The Concretes, it's hard not to pine at least somewhat for that old melody-rich pop sound.

Koima is pretty enough, but feels too frantic. [Jun 2012, p.160]

Despite such guests as Jon Spencer and John Langford--and The Sadies themselves-you just want this to be better. [Jun 2012, p.151]

Most of the album is in second person, and it’s another way that Consolers of the Lonely isolates the audience. The lonely are far from consoled; they’re made to feel uninvited to a fantastic party. [Summer 2008]

They're at their best riding bizarre, loopy hooks, which on this record is only half the time. [Jan 2012, p.75]

Uninspired and monotonous. [#13, p.93]