[Contains] scattered but affecting shots of brilliance. [Oct 2006, p.117]

Sam's Town is bloated with verses that helplessly swipe at capturing something, anything, significantly American. [Oct 2006, p.129]

[A] time warp of an album, which takes us back to a future where grunge never happened, glam is god, disco balls sit atop the world and glitter falls from the sky. [Sep 2006, p.129]

Where Shadow ultimately sutmbles is on the britpop tip. [Oct 2006, p.116]

Suffers slightly from pasteurized cheese. [Oct 2006, p.120]

Though varying little from past Tyde albums, Three's Co. is a welcome tribute to summer. [Sep 2006, p.139]

Each release generates one or two hits and is never regarded as a classic, but 4:21...The Day After may be an exception. [Sep 2006, p.137]

This duo can only be measured against themselves and for the first time, it don't measure up. [Sep 2006, p.139]

Finds a band in utter denial of what is precisely its appeal. [Sep 2006, p.143]

Quite boring. [Jul/Aug 2006, p.125]

There's only so many times the melodic power chords of guitarist Mike Stroud can graze the quarantined beats of programmer Evan Mast before the combination begins to rust. [Sep 2006, p.142]

It's clear that we have a gifted songwriter on our hands. [Jul/Aug 2006, p.117]

It's hard to care, to jump, jive and join the cause, when singer-guitarist Jenny Hoysten barely musters anything above flat, monotonous speak-singing. [Jul/Aug 2006, p.118]

It succeeds in the same subversive manner Peaches did six years ago. [Jul/Aug 2006, p.118]

More Libertines than Franz Ferdinand, the Futureheads deftly move away from being pigeonholed and reward listeners with a complex album of pop gems. [Jun 2006, p.111]

Eschews gauzy isolation to embrace the heartfelt immediacy of chiming, breezy pop in a Big Star way. [Jun 2006, p.119]

Mind plays like a collection of tracks destined for car commercials, Hollywood movies and Superbowl half-time shows. [Apr 2006, p.90]

Like Stereolab backed by the Muppet Babies. [Jun 2006, p.114]

Scale slips into un-passionate, boring territory--in part due to the vocalist, who make sthe whole thing sound somewhat homogeneous. [May 2006, p.86]

Too much of Wood lumbers on and on and on... [May 2006, p.95]

Unfortunately, lead singer Pall Jenkins's vocals are not as spectacular as the arrangements backing him. [May 2006, p.82]

The dominating reggae rhythms sound thin and dynamic moments are rare. [May 2006, p.94]

When The Streets gets lazy, he becomes less of an artist and more like a novelty. [May 2006, p.80]

Even listeners who retreat to the "experimental" defense will only mixtape the five decent tracks and torch the rest. [May 2006, p.84]

Maritime won't be able to distinguish themselves from others, but they have an amazing ability to create songs like "Tearing Up the Oxygen," which as a pop-play on words with a sense of realism. [Apr 2006, p.97]

Songs are succinct yet maintain an eye for layering oblique, eccentric detail of almost prog proportions. [Jun 2006, p.111]

Painfully unexciting. [Mar 2006, p.122]

Fans of Bubba's previous Southern-inspired offerings will delight in these extra helpings. [Mar 2006, p.122]