Like all exploratory trips, sometimes he has prophetic visions and sometimes he just rolls around a lot. [Oct 2002, p.94]

Following a seven year gap between studio albums, Sacramento's CAKE is back with the compelling, yet inconsistent Showroom of Compassion.

Updates the happy-fi Plastilina Mosh sound into a pop-friendly mix of hip-hop, funk and lounge-y atmospheres. [May 2002, p.116]

The extended running time of Young Miss America starts to act against Lafata toward the full-length's end. [Jun 2003, p.93]

Not exactly ironic hipster or fashionably cool... the end result, ironically, is damn cool. [Apr 2007, p.104]

A lush, relaxing listen. [Jan/Feb 2006, p.103]

This duo can only be measured against themselves and for the first time, it don't measure up. [Sep 2006, p.139]

Far from forgettable, Black Cherry falls a bit short of the sum of its parts but is valuable for its more daring numbers. [#104, p.96]

Sol-angel and the Hadley St. Dreams boasts Thievery Corporation at the production helm, giving little Knowles' album a sophisticated sonic texture of jazzy pop, lounge inflections, and brassy drama.

The songs have parts that are memorable but your finger is always on the advance button. Overall, pretty good but could use some editing and improvement.

Earnestly sung lyrics in the vein of Jack Johnson or John Mayer, 80s-style instrumentation (percussion, guitar licks, synths), and constant rhythmic switch-ups are elegantly crafted. This album isn't boring, it's just too polished for the raw sounds and styles it draws influence from.

If nothing else the lyrics are rich, although it gets tiresome to hear song after song of psychedelic fairytales over spaced out chimes and strings.

Incessantly innovative, it's charming as hell for about the duration of a sidelong glance. [Aug 2003, p.89]

Because the sound is based on repetition, yet it bounces off every wall it touches, the album can be like a bad trip inside the mind of a schizophrenic and new listeners may not be ready, but for the others who’ve supported the band in the past, it can be a welcome respite from the sound they’re used to.

For those who used to throw parties, but now have dinners, Kings Of Convenience will bring desert and a bottle of expensive red wine. [Oct 2004, p.103]

[A] time warp of an album, which takes us back to a future where grunge never happened, glam is god, disco balls sit atop the world and glitter falls from the sky. [Sep 2006, p.129]

Yet Jamie T is a pop nihilist, to the degree where his lackadaisical lyrical knack, indolent hooks and skeletal beats give the listener a peep into what it truly means to be the average, youthful bloke.

Brazilian Girl has the ability to give audiences a world band sound because of its mixture of different languages and live band sound. It also has a certain level of pop appeal.

Taken as a whole, the album does have a certain cohesiveness that’s lacking in most dance “albums” but many of the tracks fail to break new or interesting ground, and it leaves one wishing their potential of last summer could’ve been realized.

More Libertines than Franz Ferdinand, the Futureheads deftly move away from being pigeonholed and reward listeners with a complex album of pop gems. [Jun 2006, p.111]

I'm inclined to say that they've reached a midpoint in experimentation where they can claim to be boundary-pushers and trendsetters, yet have done little in untried methodology, an undeserved sense of achievement.

Beatwise, Playtime culls Wiley's best dubs from the last year, with tracks like 'Bow E3' and '50/50' flexing textbook mastery over grime's sludgy polyrhythm.

It's nice that a singer/songwriter can fit comfortably on a label known for abstract techno and heady hip-hop. It's not so great when she sounds like Dido. [Apr 2005, p.109]

A sincere winner. [Mar 2006, p.123]

Doesn't fit comfortably into either the current musical landscape or the leftfield. [Mar 2004, p.109]

Listeners hoping for a radical departure from previous outings may be disappointed to find that the disc doesn't necessarily break new ground... [Sep 2001, p.152]

Their tried and true formula does wear thin in parts, as it always does, but there are enough creative wrinkles in this album to warrant repeat listens and contemplation.

Dystopia pop at its most intriguing. [May 2005, p.93]