Although he wrangles these troublesome rhythms with aplomb, at times they bring out a cartoonish tendency that undermines his usual deadly poise. [Nov 2011, p.66]

It works best when blended with his more adventurous tendencies. [Nov 2011, p.64]

He spins an engrossing narrative in short spans of time, packing songs with layers that are felt when they're not immediately perceived. [Nov 2011, p.63]

Never merely texture, just noise or dumb repetition, but always, instead, living and intelligent music. [Nov 2011, p.63]

Crazy Clown Time is like a sound painting of oddball modern USA done in the style of Old Weird America. {Nov 2011, p.62]

I found myself wishing [the booklet] was three times longer and the music three CDs less. [Nov 2011, p.60]

Some might find the group's repetitive grooves too smooth a match for all Smith's spewing. But his bark infects everything around it. [Nov 2011, p.58]

Far Side Virtual is a convincing evocation of the digital dreamtime. [Nov 2011, p.58]

Bonnie Prince Billy shows no sign of slowing down his slowness, despite, or perhaps because of, the misery. [Nov 2011, p.56]

The record crams a ton of sonic and thematic ideas into a small space and yet show almost no visible stitches. [Oct 2011, p.66]

There's a lot going on and while he never rises to anything as wakeful as a melody or a solid riff, there's still a satisfying level of control that keeps him two steps away from the minimalism plus heavy effects tendency of similar acts. [Oct 2011, p.65]

Dance album of this level of consistent quality are rare. Yet ultimately, no groove in this album particularly reach out and little new, different or memorable is offered for the imagination. [Oct 2011, p.65]

On XXX his own aesthetic seems fully formed. [Oct 2011, p.65]

Patten's ability to conjure such urgency with out ever slipping into anything so easy as a typical groove goes some distance. [Oct 2011, p.65]

Abstract hiphop-heads might be turned off by the slick machismo, but others will have some good dirty fun. [Oct 2011, p.65]

Extra Playful lives up to its title. [Oct 2011, p.63]

In truth most of it is middling stuff. [Oct 2011, p.62]

What could have ended up sounding like sketches, are now completed pieces,m full of suspense flashback, refrains ad other temporal tricks. [Oct 2011, p.61]

By unplugging the effects and simply playing, they sound re-energized. [Oct 2011, p.61]

Even if the music remains fairly consistent, the concepts mark off more ambitious territories. [Oct 2011, p.60]

Musically, in other words, Strange Mercy delivers plenty of interest. What's not so convincing is the songwriting, specifically the lyrics. [Oct 2011, p.60]

Given the sprawling length, naturally it's not devoid of a few stray gems and curiosities. [Oct 2011, p.60]

A certain bass jumpiness is evident throughout these six tracks, a post-grunge melodic murkiness that is at once reassuring but also puts paid to elevating the record into the realms of the ethereal. [Oct 2011, p.58]

On How The Thing Sings, Orcutt reveals a more open vision. [Oct 2011, p.58]

Get Lost is no worse (and no better) than 2010's Living With Yourself. [Oct 2011, p.56]

These performances have been rightly cherished by collectors for decades. [Oct 2011, p.54]

Not a visionary rollercoaster thundering around the heavens, but a rewarding slow and subtle grower. [Oct 2011, p.53]

While nothing on III is exactly a soundtrack to sipping caipirinhas in the sun, there's also nothing about it that suggests grimacing theatrically on a darken dancefloor. [Oct 2011, p.52]