[They] could have easily narrowed the selections from their debut into a three song EP, or possibly even a single. In nixing eight or more of the songs from Underwater Cinematographer, the band would've also cut down on all the annoying shouting, half-melodies, pompous song structures and garbled lyrics.

My only problem with the album is that it begins to devour its own tail about halfway through, at times sounding tedious, or worse, precious.

Plays mostly as a digest of fairly enjoyable if not particularly memorable shaggy-haired rockers in the Kinks or Small Faces mold with little material to rival Sunshine's radiant highs.

Lidell has created an album of flawless, imaginative, and radical funk grooves.

The compilation will not alter your opinions of Lali Puna. But between the new material and older cuts previously scattered across numerous singles and compilations,I Thought I Was Over That is something fans old and new will want to have around.

What strikes most is a sense of uncomfortable suspension, and what keeps the album afloat remains a true mystery listen after listen.

Humming By The Flowered Vine takes the rootsy sounds of classic country music (incorporating Hank Williams, Lucinda Williams and everyone in between) and plops them smack dab in the middle of Manhattan.

The album as a whole isn't interesting enough lyrically or musically to hold itself together.

The results are predictably wonderful.

Slice Thrills up into its individual pieces, and Ellen Allien's third studio record is flawless.

The results are stunning.

When Pause came out in 2001, that sounded like an artist at his peak. But get this: He's still at his peak, and the view is no less scintillating, crisp, and sweet, rolling with drums and shaded by clouds of horn reverb and file-sharing swish.

The record's disparate experiments are unified by an overriding darkness, the black light Albarn shines on the dancehall. It's this unusual tone that makes Demon Days intriguing long after it's ceased to be novel.

Although an extreme statement, it is a major stylistic step forward for the band and pays off great dividends to those so inclined to follow them into The Woods.

Is Malkmus treading water? Well, maybe. But despite the complaints of those fans who can’t let Pavement go, he’s still making valid, adventurous and - most of all - fun music.

Perhaps the best overall representation of Belle and Sebastian’s distinctive brand of indie pop.

A debut album so confident and flawlessly developed it seems more like the work of a band hitting its mid-career creative peak.

While it feels like they're still finding their way and discovering what they're capable of, it's clear there's potential for greatness and longevity.

All eleven songs on Gimme Fiction are immaculately crafted, concise pop gems.

The record's glossy sheen and sharp nostalgia give it a calculated, lab-constructed feel.

A true supergroup -- a set of songs that might be superior to either group's work separately.

Snaith simply dictates the flow of emotions and events on this record, with the kind of command presence rarely seen.

[A] sonic sheen (and the punchy rhythm section) gives the songs an immediacy that the previous reunion records have lacked.

And though she may be running in place lyrically, her melodies have never been keener and her vocals grow richer and more confident with each release.

The Wedding is a worthwhile gamble and a record like no other in the Oneida catalogue. Which, come to think of it, makes it a lot like every other Oneida record.

Mice Parade is an original, hovering over multiple traditions without disturbing any of them.

A bipolar rock opera for the ages.

The Sunset Tree may just be The Mountain Goats's most poetic, coherent work.