It's on the quieter moments--the lovely Wild, closer I Tried--that Champion finds its emotional sweet spot. [Jan 2020, p.106]

She's delivered an intimate record tailor-made for long wintry nights. [Jan 2020, p.106]

It's their determination to flaunt their multi-instrumental credentials that derails some songs. ... Much more effective is when HMR exercise restraint. [Jan 2020, p.109]

A vigorous, if patchy comeback. [Jan 2020, p.114]

The sheer musical scope means Vagabon resembles a shifting mood piece, tied together not by generic tropes but its creator's singular sensibility. [Jan 2020, p.114]

The result is undeniably lovely, if never truly transcendent. [Jan 2020, p.114]

Anyone wanting more of the multilayered sense of foreboding afforded by 2016's The Glowing Man, Meanwhile, will be delighted by the pulverising Sunfucker and The Hanging Man. [Jan 2020, p.114]

There's a grating tweeness that pushes the saccharine levels far into the red. [Jan 2020, p.113]

Morrison languidly strolls though the light and dark of his past stylistic glories over 14 entirely new self-penned songs. [Jan 2020, p.110]

A thrilling testament to Meredith's seemingly limitless capacity for reinvention. [Jan 2020, p.110]

Smart, affecting and rich in melody, Krystal reveals Maltese to be very much the full ticket. [Jan 2020, p.110]

It's warmly unreal how in thrall he remains to The Beatles, from melodic progressions down to the thwack of drums, but these heartache-powered ballads retain a simple elation at the power of rock'n'roll. [Jan 2020, p.110]

While the proceedings might be more restrained than usual on the '80s hardcore-aping Husker Don't and Sabbath clatter of Halloween 3, if you think Lightning Bolt have softened you're very much mistaken. [Jan 2020, p.110]

Sometimes, the groovier, mellower tracks dull the clarity of the MCs' densely witty lyrics. But when the pair's smart humour and indignant ire is given room to shine, as on the chilly grime of I Spy, they live up to their reputation as two of the UK's foremost rap maestros. [Jan 2020, p.107]

He remains a maestro at the mixing desk, even as the album's split-down-the-middle concept undermines his genre-splicing strengths. [Jan 2020, p.106]

Across the range of these 13 short songs is the sound of a singular musician revelling in his gift. A wonderful return. [Jan 2020, p.106]

For such a heavenly record, an all-star cast makes perfect sense. [Jan 2020, p.108]

It won't give the Foo Fighters sleepless nights, but it's fun while it lasts. [Jan 2020, p.109]

Their parched, skeletal songs, built around simple guitar figures, Appalachian-style harmonies and super-catchy tunes merit a wider audience. [Jan 2020, p.109]

Tindersticks once again turn the spaces and losses into songs of substance. [Jan 2020, p.114]

Posthumous albums tend to sound cobbled together, compromised, missing that vital spark, but this loving father-son dialogue has produced a worthy epilogue to one of music's greatest songbooks. [Jan 2020, p.115]

The result is music any Dylan admirer should get deeply immersed in. [Jan 2020, p.117]

Newly-remixed outtakes reveal Clark's progress and a posh limited-edition box set version gives this excellent album the treatment it deserves. [Dec 2019, p.117]

Actual thrills are in short supply. [Dec 2019, p.114]

Petra's songs have an autumnal quality, wistful yet mellow, with his voice providing the earthy centre. [Dec 2019, p.106]

Akchote can still serve up a dancefloor banger when required. ... Although its on the album's closing track that he discovers the perect balance between artistry and energy, silken-voiced R&B singer Gallant turning Run For Me into a heady EDM ballad that elevates his signature beats to new heights. [Dec 2019, p.115]

The frenzied feel of the record as a whole might scare off some Bloc Party fans, but this is vital, exciting stuff. [Dec 2019, p.113]

A mind-bogglingly diverse four-hour-plus odyssey. ... A stand-alone single-disc sampler featuring 10 DRIFT highlights ranks as Underworld's finest long-player since 1999's Beaucoup Fish. [Dec 2019, p.114]