[A] solid sophomore effort. [Nov 2004, p.98]

Grabs you from the opening seconds with a best-of-all-worlds combination of gritty, menacing music and witty, hilarious lyrics. [Nov 2004, p.99]

Too often we get ill-fated experiments in electronic circa 1997 and overly polished replications of their biggest hit to date, "Electrify." [Sep 2004, p.116]

It's all synths, moogs and bass kicking away like a fusion funk machine. [Sep 2004, p.117]

It's mighty moody stuff for a debut, but it's carried off just right. [Nov 2004, p.100]

[A] powerful statement. [Oct 2004, p.101]

Amid all the beaming newness of Radical Connector is something familiar and unsettling. [Sep 2004, p.116]

Done in by fussy, irritating delivery and lyrics that range from clunky moralizing to potshots at easy targets. [Nov 2004, p.98]

Orbital's swan song is a welcome addition to an epic, if uneven, catalog. [Oct 2004, p.104]

A few tracks bump, but for the most part, Lord Jamar's production couldn't make punks jump up, much less get beat down. [Sep 2004, p.114]

The record falters only when Ace recounts a gangster parable about shady dealings with a certain Fats Belvedere. [Sep 2004, p.116]

He sounds darker and more menacing than ever. [Oct 2004, p.105]

More distinctive than the arrangements, though, are Topley-Bird's utterly unique vocals. [Sep 2004, p.117]

Immersive and woozy, brittle yet supple, a twittering, throttling piper of spectral drones. [Jul/Aug 2004, p.126]

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]

Rather spectacular. [Jul/Aug 2004, p.126]

[A] funk dub electro carb-filled gem. [Sep 2004, p.117]

For those who've wondered what The Who's rock operas would sound like if rerecorded by Captain Beefheart and Stevie Nicks, it's time to break the rules. [Oct 2004, p.103]

11 tracks of classic ambient house and melodic decks and EFX exercises. [Sep 2004, p.116]

It's an album crying out for one ounce of originality. [Oct 2004, p.103]

Beans and Subtitle are especially fitting on vocals, since both are as loopy as the beats. [Sep 2004, p.115]

Alternately gritty and bouncy beats by Organized Noize and DJ Sleepy can't quell the sensation of attending a school reunion minus the quarterback. [Jun 2004, p.85]

T3's iconistic delivery and Elzhi's endearing and logistically strong raps hold it down, and collaborations shine brilliantly. [Jul/Aug 2004, p.126]

The real beauty lies in how Iceland's dynamic conditions are mimed in minimalist clicks and cuts, and overlapping swashes of snapping drums, sparkling piano and acoustic guitar. [Jul/Aug 2004, p.124]

Most of Creature Comforts is hypnotic, if hardly soothing, noisemaking. [Jul/Aug 2004, p.124]

Absolutely endearing. [Jul/Aug 2005, p.101]

Signals something of a rebirth of their signature creativity. [Jul/Aug 2004, p.123]

In a case of not fixing what isn't broken, they return with a veritable cornucopia of crossover-ready collaborators eager to see if lightning can indeed strike twice. [Jul/Aug 2004, p.127]

Sound[s] like the most genuine "no wave" tribute album yet. [Jun 2004, p.83]

A near-masterpiece. [Sep 2004, p.117]

It's a veritable buffet of beats as she claws into everything from ghetto-house to industrial bombast with confidence and attitude to spare. [May 2004, p.83]

Digs deeper into his sonic bag of tricks, producing a panorama of inspired ideas. [Jul/Aug 2004, p.125]

You've heard it before and frankly, you've heard it better. [Jun 2004, p.90]

A solid record of contagious melodies and dance-tastic beats. [Jul/Aug 2004, p.125]

With hardly a breakbeat in sight, RJ's sophomore effort plays like an homage to '80s-era easy listening.... An ambitious effort, but a failure all the same. [May 2004, p.86]

While Kesto's sweeping scope is impressive, this long-player is best reserved for cold winter evenings and late-night introspection. [Jul/Aug 2004, p.126]

Wiry, tense, post-No Wave dispatches. [Oct 2004, p.102]

It's a lot of wicked, loud noise, and if that's your thing, this is your record. [Jun 2004, p.84]

Easily the best and most original album the Betas have ever made. [May 2004, p.84]

Certainly a nice full-length, though it would be interesting to see what a vocalist could add to their formula . [Jun 2004, p.86]

Their sound is an interesting polyglot, one as easily accessible to dance minimalists and brown corduroy-wearing emo boys, and with nary a compromise. [Apr 2004, p.86]

Evidence that these musical minds are sharper than ever. [Jun 2004, p.87]

Colder's continuous atmosphere of experimentation, and his own off-kilter vocal delivery, keep you on the edge of your ledge. [Jun 2004, p.84]

All good, but not quite great. [Apr 2004, p.85]

While not up to par with either of their previous albums, Bee Hives is certainly a pretty, if uneven, addition for fans. [Jul/Aug 2004, p.124]

Blonde Redhead's most confounding element is also one of their most endearing. With her ethereal, paper-thin voice, [Kazu] Makino often slips frustratingly off-key. [May 2004, p.84]

9th [Wonder]'s impassioned beatwork's sole shortcoming is there's not enough of it, as this album runs less than 40 minutes. [Apr 2004, p.83]

This is an album that seeks to push boundaries, and succeeds. [May 2004, p.84]

In a perfect world, Fly Or Die would become a classic-rock staple right next to Can't Buy A Thrill and Heaven Tonight. [May 2004, p.87]

A refreshing batch of summery, carefree downtempo songs. [May 2004, p.85]

Boatloads of fresh, clunky beats land ashore with narrative tongue trickery. [Apr 2004, p.86]

Closer in spirit to Matmos' The Civil War than to any rap record, Ten dares you to let your inner child out to play. [Mar 2004, p.108]

Majestic, glorious and not like much else you've ever heard before.... A strong contender for Album of the Year. [Mar 2004, p.107]

Lerche has a pop manual the size of the OED, and he's not the least bit bashful about using it. [Apr 2004, p.86]

Unlike their inspirations, they've ditched the Marxist polemics in favor of dance-driven ambiguous tales of fumbled romance. [Jun 2004, p.84]

Occasionally teetering on the verge of too precious, the heavy mood and lush production are too much (and too nice) to resist. [Apr 2004, p.87]

Beans emerge[s] as the underground's answer to Pharrell Williams, insanely stylish and armed with beats and rhymes to spare. [Feb 2004, p.78]

[A] full clip of club bangers and radio rockers. [Mar 2004, p.108]

They effortlessly knock out the kind of poignant, electronic-tinged anthems that would have had a 1997 Thom Yorke dancing with joy. [Mar 2004, p.109]

So dark and twisted that it makes Joy Division seem like shiny happy people. [Mar 2004, p.110]

The fractious tension producer [Barlow] normally whips up to counter [Rhodes] is almost completely absent, thus allowing the run of tracks to discreetly slide off into the background. [Mar 2004, p.110]

Gleefully uneasy listening. [Feb 2004, p.82]

Ultimately, Xiu Xiu builds something sacred from tiny moments of pain. [Jun 2004, p.90]

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

It's hottest moments are tepid at best. [Feb 2004, p.77]

Manages to be both visceral and emotive, sprinkling the dancefloors with tears and sweat. [Mar 2004, p.111]

This'll retain its heat only until everyone's heard it. [Apr 2004, p.88]

Imagine Four Tet with a band instead of a laptop and you're getting close. [Jan 2004, p.78]

In the clubs, Baby Monkey will find a welcome family. [May 2004, p.87]

Where Air's previous album failed to ignite like their classic Moon Safari, they have made some amends on Talkie Walkie. [Jan 2004, p.74]

Their wall of sounds with lush keyboards and itchy guitars still fire strong. [Nov 2003, p.92]

The band is crisp and tight, with daring songwriting and arrangements. [Mar 2004, p.111]

Dizzee's production style is impressive.... His flow is urgent and coherent. [Mar 2004, p.109]

TCM has become utterly irrelevant. [Feb 2004, p.78]

This is Kelis' big moment, and she more than rises to the occasion. [Feb 2004, p.82]

As sophomore albums go, Atlas is far from sophomoric. [Feb 2004, p.79]

He finally seems to be combining alll of his varied interests into a complete package more substantive than his earlier, smark-alecky adventures. [Mar 2004, p.108]

An impressive album that points to a most promising future. [May 2004, p.84]

The self-reflective vocals... are an insightful change, while the slow-boiling builds on "Mind In Rewind" will simply make you want to buy your 303 back off eBay. [Nov 2003, p.87]

Pushes the boundaries so far it's difficult to even call what they do "house" anymore. [Nov 2003, p.88]

While a handful of tracks may... seem familiar to fans of PiL, Dinosaur L, ESG and Primal Scream, Echoes manages much more than aping influences. [Oct 2003, p.83]

She's made her Marvin Gaye album, a sweet collection of dreamy, reggae-kissed gems. [Dec 2003, p.86]

Stories is that rarest of rap LPs: trend-resistant and, therefore, timeless. [Dec 2003, p.87]

Koala's comic gestures serve a humble purpose, masking the technical precision that underpins his work. [Nov 2003, p.88]

Disarmingly intimate. [Dec 2003, p.87]

Quite possibly the break-up album of the year. [Jan 2004, p.78]

Takes her dirty white girlisms to an even more profound yet still salacious place. [Nov 2003, p.89]

In small doses (songs, verses, lines), Aesop's latest is a brutally great argument that hip-hop's new-new-new-new-new-school is as creative as its oldest. [Nov 2003, p.88]

Amazing new music from Shields.... The perfect soundtrack to a brilliant movie. [Dec 2003, p.89]

Amazing Grace holds its place in the ever-evolving sound of one of the most momentous bands of the past decade. [Oct 2003, p.86]

If you bought Daybreaker, stop! You're done. [Dec 2003, p.89]

Their vocals sound more unenthused and bored than detached or sinister. [Sep 2003, p.101]

There are fewer acerbic-tinged, catchy pop tracks that made thier last two efforts so essential. [Oct 2003, p.86]

A high-spirited whoosh of urgent dance pop and groovy psychedelic bop. [Sep 2003, p.102]

At seventy-eight minutes, Emotional Technology gets a bit long in the tooth, but you get the feeling that the myriad streams of sound that pass between (and through) his ears have finally nestled together in a grandiose manner he envisioned. [Sep 2003, p.99]

Phantom Power is pretty much your perfect experience, certainly alongside some jazzy cigarettes and a nubile lovely. [Oct 2003, p.84]

This is not just academic and abstract music for the headphone philosopher, but proper soulful stuff that will rock more adventurous dance floors. [Aug 2003, p.90]

The party album of the year has arrived. [Aug 2003, p.87]