Like scoffing a King sized Mars Bar, the instant gratification and sugar rush is soon superseded with nausea, whining and guilt.

A fascinating work of collage that never gets tedious or faddy.

One of the most witty, ambitious and intelligent British guitar albums thus far in 2005.

Although Darnielle's incessant lyrical urgency occasionally causes some words to sound too forced, it's these delicate, well placed notes, minimal piano tinkles and two chord strums that save the songs.

'Apropa't' sounds as organic as a dump and as lush as a drizzly sunset.

Sandoval has a voice quite unlike almost any other and perfectly suited to stark, narcoleptic laments, which is what this, with a couple of curious-if-brief instrumental diversions, delivers on a regular basis.

Repeated listens draw out its infinite flaws, its awful smugness, and remind you that were this not A Radiohead Album it would have been consigned to the pile marked 'Not A Patch On Aphex Twin' last week.

A decent album, then. But one containing an EP that would've had us going "!!!!!".

Miraculously the lyrics never sound like the pompous shite they undoubtedly are. They fit the music and make the whole picture even more laughably and absurdly brilliant.

'Fundamental' will not only be rated up there among the Pet Shop Boys finest albums -- it's also arguably the best electro pop record we've heard in years.

A decidedly schizophrenic experience, if a frequently beautiful and, at the very least, relentlessly promising one.

This is mainly an improvement on a brilliant formula.

Keep giving it a whirl though and it becomes something rather exquisite.

It really is like they've never been away; their glee and enthusiasm can be heard coursing through every bar.

The vast bulk of this album is the sort of stuff you'd expect from an averagely talented bunch of first year music students. Who smoke way, way, way too much dope.

Key to the success of 'Broken Boy Soldiers' is the relatively restrained musicianship.

Quite simply, there are thirteen absolutely cracking tunes here.

What's so remarkable about Morrissey's writing on 'Ringleader...' is a seeming greater comfort with the more upbeat subject matter than with his usual morose metier, and what remains of that is executed with an exceedingly hammy fist.

Quite simply, only the Chili Peppers are even in this class now, and it took them a lot more than four albums to get there.

There are no real surprises here but then in the land of pop-punk surprise is not high on the agenda.

'The Magnificent' largely sidelines Jeff's considerable turntablist skills preferring to showcase the talents of his A Touch Of Jazz production company.

There's little here that you won't have heard countless times before but as a pretension-free house album, 'Muzikizum' is an accomplished, pumping affair.

As with most such collections you're going to get good, bad and extremely ugly, and this is no exception. The fact it spans three CDs seems a bit indulgent considering some of the material should be consigned to an incinerator never to be heard again.

[A] weird, angry, frustrating album.

'Capture / Release' is an album that sounds very much like now, but it should way transcend it too.

For those who looked forward to the new genre-leading direction in downbeat dance that would come with the next Massive Attack album... well, let's just say the major challenge you'll face with '100th Window' is deciding whether there is a hidden track or that 'Antistar' is really a 22-minute song with an excessively long silent bit in the middle.

The energy that spills forth from these grooves hails both the positive power of loud guitars and gorges itself on the general insanity of life, but nails it all home with a knowing melodic sense of the anthemic and a musical complexity which elevates the entire album beyond mere thrash and burn histrionics.

Leaning closer towards the fiercer end of the guitar spectrum, 'Molé' is a splurge of intense and angry songs, a reaction to the filthy Bush era.