Even with the occasional miss, the near-violent style-hopping is more than welcome where Rupture is concerned.

Despite the dead weight of his guest MC, Quik delivers a package full of heat. Nothing new or ground breaking, just good old fashioned West Coast party bounce.

What’s really impressive here, however, is instead of crafting another album filled with ethical coaching (which was actually a pretty damn good record, by the way), the group found an interesting theme and stuck to it.

With Swim Snaith finds success focusing his most complex notions and freeing his most straightforward ideas.

An album more raw than an infected, 10-day-old open head wound. [Apr 2007, p.102]

It's a beautiful collection of songs, cinematic and powerful, never pushy. [Apr 2007, p.100]

On Drift, LA-based producer Nosaj Thing’s debut album, the numerous layers of synths sonically sub in for the verbalization, creating a 37-minute instrumental masterpiece.

That's the magic of XXX: whether joy, sadness or disgust, Mr. Brown will make you feel something.

The Arctic Monkeys are not a bad band; they're just a band with catchy lyrics, summer blues riffs and an arsenal of runaway hits. [Mar 2006, p.112]

While the debut from the classically trained Philly native runs a little long, it's still an impressive and diverse hack at that tricky hip-hop/soul niche. [Sep 2001, p.148]

The whole album is deep and atmospheric, with the right amount of up-tempo treats.

Cookie is a true musical treat that more than hits its mark with seriously sublime style. [Aug 2002, p.118]

Brilliant.... This album sounds like Albarn and Danger Mouse are an inspired team. [Jul/Aug 2005, p.101]

More Heart Than Brains is a title that perfectly captures the spirit of this album.

The boys have yet to prove their worth with the tender, mellow bits... and one can't help but wonder how strong Favourite Worst Nightmare would have been as simply a full-throttle, adrenal-tapped EP. [May 2007, p.92]

The band plainly “rocks” and on Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix they have perfectly translated that ability onto their proper recorded output--for better or worse.

Stories is that rarest of rap LPs: trend-resistant and, therefore, timeless. [Dec 2003, p.87]

In a sentence, Q-Tip’s long-awaited release looks to get people to thinking, loving, and dancing, as usual.

Instead of hip-hop, Betke now appears inspired by the hypnotic riddims of Krautrock and the New York art-dance scene of the 1970s. [May 2007, p.97]

Autechre are mulching electronic music, letting their code sweat and rot in the heat. In doing so, they set off a complex ecological process that is interesting to watch, if not always pretty to listen to. [#84, p.105]

He merges genres and styles, and it's impossible to resist his bass heavy and chest bursting productions.

Although the vocals initially may spark fears of self-indulgent been there’s and done that’s, the musical beast which duels with the lyrics stays on point and goes beyond the point in miraculous fashion.

You could buy this album just for "Poney Part 1," and really, it'd be worth it. [Jun 2005, p.81]

There's always something a bit fresh to the way Cox decides to articulate his musical notions, and this album shows that regardless of the ways his influences and ideas phase around each other, the impressions he presents are among the most appealing to be found.

Modest protest songs, lack of money and painful love is the platform on Good Things. He deals with hardship in an uplifting manner and with smart lyrics.

Silent Alarm doesn't just maintain Bloc Party's post-dance-punk appeal, it blows the fucking lid off. [Apr 2005, p.100]

His best full-length. [May 2007, p.98]

This one’s not as immediately accessible as "Affair," but still maintains Lindstrom’s position at the top of the electronic scene.