It's clear Saint Etienne have returned from their pastoral hiatus, ready to do what they do best: distill and riff on music history's catalog with inimitable style and substance. [Nov 2002, 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]

Just some progressive musicians being…progressive. O Soundtrack My Heart is not for everyone, and that’s not a bad thing.

All platitudes aside, I have to say that there is some filler - mostly packed into the album's second quarter where most artists tend to hide their more mediocre material.

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]

The harmonies resonate and the melodies hook into your skull. [Jul/Aug 2005, p.109]

Not just music, but a state of mind. [Jun 2005, p.81]

Tommy excels because there is no one correct way to describe the music. Using everything from Afrobeat to IDM, Dosh does it all; yet, he manages to find a way to make the entire project cohesive.

He tears apart the classic rock, only to re-assemble it into compositions that most resemble... classic rock. [Oct 2005, p.77]

A quick dozen tunes happily unconcerned with mass appeal. [Jan/Feb 2006, p.95]

The developed avant-jazz compositions stand out just fine, but with all their consequential underpinnings, Herbert and the band are swinging on all levels.

Fey and whimsical, these songs are challenges that reward. [Apr 2006, p.96]

Don’t get it twisted, the Kidz have dumbed down--but they’ve smartened up just as much.

While it may be Moby's darkest record yet, Wait For Me should, at very least, serve as an optimistic sign that Moby's independent creative juices are still flowing.

Truelove’s Gutter is a winner for his fans.

You would think that all this grandiose genre-juggling would play out like a collection of songs, but it all works well together and plays like a cohesive album.

While almost as good as that first Dooom album, only time will tell if this sequel can become another timeless classic in the Kool Keith catalog.

Whether it’s Mark’s influence, or Kinky’s own growth over the years (or maybe both), this album has universal appeal and its party-ready, rich sound is one that would be a shame to pass up.

Although there are moments where you wish for the upbeat, there is a solace to La Llama. For all of you non-spanish and catalan speakers out there, your mind is not forced to translate any of the words either, but simply inspired to enjoy the ride.

Do not sleep. The lush soundscapes of the vivid and fascinating world of Paul White await.

Beck at his best. [Apr 2005, p.100]

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

The tracks on Heart On don't veer from EoDM's favored subjects of Los Angeles fakery, sex, girls, sexy girls, and how they're gonna get sexy girls. But shit, that doesn't matter because they're sure as hell sticking to what they do best (with their trusty cow-bell, no less): they make you want to rock out and get your sleazy dance-on at some greasy bar with a PBR.

It is rare to come across an album encapsulating various musical stylings and still boasts coherence and a pleasurable pop listening experience. The Portland-based quartet Hockey achieves that balance on its debut studio album, Mind Chaos.

A band/sound that could easily have been a flash in the synth-pop revival pan has actually proven itself worthy of revisit , over and over again.

Frankly, this record makes me wish I could snort bass lines through my ear holes. [Apr 2006, p.84]

Instead of avoiding the comparisons, Sean Lennon succeeds by reveling in the kind of pop that runs through his family's genes. [Oct 2006, p.124]

At once apocalyptic and born again. [May 2007, p.96]

A few cuts ('Big N Bad,' '54321' or 'Step') don’t succeed in showcasing her talents as well as the rest of the album, but Ultraviolet succeeds in bringing together older Kid Sis favorites with new material, and--most importantly--is just a really fun party record.

Tittsworth should be proud. 12 Steps is, at its end, a mighty accomplishment for both its maker and his genre.

Simultaneously builds and deconstructs the strides made with Pause, resulting in an even more organic blend of quiet but muscular compositions. [Jun 2003, p.93]

Thirty years into their collaboration, Underworld's Rick Smith and Karl Hyde continue to sit at the forefront of dance music innovation. Barking is just further proof that Underworld isn't going anywhere.

A sprawling, ambitious 18-track effort that's hardly the cash-in it could've been. [May 2002, p.115]

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

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

If IDM is that pudgy guy with the thick glasses who won't shut up about Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Gold Panda is the shy boy in the corner that somehow gets the coolest girl at the party to make him breakfast.

Droppin’ Science Fiction, the debut project from hip-hop supergroup The Mighty Underdogs, is one of the strongest underground hip-hop albums to come out in a long time.

[An] excellent multi-genre plateau. [May 2005, p.84]

Electronic pop rarely sounds this beautiful and human. [Sep 2006, p.136]

Noisettes have stepped outside their comfort zone and into new musical territory. As a result, they have produced an album that accurately reflects their energy and personality.

Jump Leads mixes up so many tasty ingredients -- vocals, live instruments, a lysergic meltdown of beats -- that it could be the album that sees Cobby and McSherry getting the acclaim they deserve. [Mar 2002, p.115]

Stripped down, home cooked goodness. [Jul/Aug 2005, p.109]

Marks a new high for Bianchi as a studio guru. [Oct 2005, p.78]

Combined with newly found experiences, newly discovered self-awareness and newly refined skills, By the Throat catches this almost-forgotten duo at a new height of the pair's combined powers. Well worth the wait.

Fragile in its struture, the album is stunningly precise and hauntingly familiar. [Sep 2006, p.131]

While Molina's songwriting varies little from album to album, her songs are so strong that this is not necessarily a weak point. [May 2006, p.88]

Regardless of how the totality of Splazsh sounds to you--whether it's five tracks and 15 minutes too long, or a perfect hour-or-so long piece of programmed paradise, there's a lot to respect about Actress' confidence as a producer.

Doves succeed in giving fans their fix of new music that sounds fresh without altering the formula so much as to alienate any of their devotees.

This isn’t exactly a new Wu album. Just think of it as a nice experimental side-project--one that’s 10 times better than their last major one.

A classic rock-influenced masterpiece of horny fun. [Apr 2006, p.84]

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

They throw light on their shadowy melancholia, resulting in positively euphoric tunes. [Mar 2005, p.111]

From the tip to full metallic thrust, Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney slap and caress romantic lyricism deep into the tunnels of harmonic structure, curried by Brian Burton’s (aka Dangermouse) rollicking production.

Experimentation and metamorphosis--of sound and of character--are the paragons of this alter ego, and RZA seems to be swimming in both these days. All the pieces fit, and when RZA goes Voltron, he’s at the top of his game.

Los Angeles is a beautifully complex and widespread full-length from one of LA’s most creative and perceptive music producers.

While the album won’t produce any converts or even revive interest in the band’s newer music among purists, it’s an enjoyable, self-assured collection of jangly guitar pop tunes that sounds guided by the group’s own creative compass instead of fickle fans’ expectations.

CocoRosie has this fantastic ability to infuse humanity into their drum machines, and the warming result carries The Adventures to marvelous heights. [Apr 2007, p.102]

It's a raucous rave-up of arena rock riffs over funky disco beats, the kind of freaky dance-rock jams that belong on the jukebox in every gay biker bar in America. [Jul 2003, p.91]

The Looks shows off MSTRKRFT's deep understanding of making people move. [Jul/Aug 2006, p.125]

Muldrow’s wonderfully flighty reverberations allow the listener to grow, to mature with her, to continually learn and blossom and thrive through the music.

A stunning debut. [Apr 2006, p.96]

Photek has always been about his drums more than his bass, so it doesn't surprise that some of the tracks on Solaris are more techno than jungle. But vocal house? (#78, p.115)

An overdue look into one of Scotland's most underrated bands. [Dec 2006, p.116]

This album is an ideal response to claims that electronic music has no soul. [Apr 2005, p.100]

If you are looking for a good party in your...well, pants, then Pants' new album Welcome is the one for you.

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

The guys seem like they want to prove they are not just a regular dance band, and in that way they succeed, even including a spoken word piece about one’s concern of the great unknown ('Fear of Death').

A late-night dorm room essential. [Oct 2005, p.84]

The most inspired batch of caffeine-fueled and jumped-up party favors you'll hear all year. [#104, p.95]

Although Compass is certainly different from his other albums, it’s also just as certainly distinctly Jamie Lidell, and just the latest step in an ever-growingly impressive career.

Dirty Bomb is a double-edged sword that will undoubtedly rip you apart--but trust when I say it won’t hurt.

Musically, the live instrumentation and golden-era feel to the production make this record an enjoyable listen.

Terse bass and faux-African rhythms that recall [the Talking Heads]. [May 2005, p.93]

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]

Time and place be damned, this is a good record, but it will never be anyone’s favorite.

Bright Eyes' foray into the digital domain is among the more interesting experiments of this young year. [Mar 2005, p.109]

Throughout the disc, Lavalle shows great ability to craft soundscapes that demand attention through their subtleties. [Sep 2006, p.131]

With Swim Snaith finds success focusing his most complex notions and freeing his most straightforward ideas.

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 it takes is a spin of their high-steppin' full-length debut to realize that these ladies are worthy of the praise. [Sep 2003, p.101]

Rise Again is a highly listenable experience and except for a few bizarre lyrics (E.T. and Inakaya), it's 11 accessible tracks, soaked in sunny vibes.

Sure it's not as deep, dubby or listless as Charango, but this album is equally suitable for the late-night comedown. [Oct 2005, p.79]

Ol'boy touches the listener deep on the inside with the polished shimmy of Motown and the greasy strut of Stax tipping his hats to the likes of Otis Redding, Sam Cooke and kJackie Wilson. [Mar/Apr 2008, p.107]

Among the most engaging albums of the year. [Jul/Aug 2005, p.108]

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

While the melding of country with hip-hop might seem dubious, from Buck's perspective, they may as well be symbiotic. [Jan/Feb 2005, p.94]

It does all go a bit Sheryl Crow occasionally... but the darker clouds remain. [Oct 2006, p.117]

As with most album trilogies, this first one is promising.

Despite waiting four years since getting noticed, their throwback beats and rhymes still hit things right throughout their LP debut, When Fish Ride Bicycles.

buzzes. His talent as a musician shines through in his ability to avoid having his theoretically contrasting influences sound forced together. If anything he has made them compliment each other.

While conscious rap often comes off as dour, this is a thoroughly enjoyable record, dignified and jiggy all at once. [Mar 2003, p.94]

While the debut from the classically trained Philly native runs a little long, it's still an impressive and diverse hack at that tricky hip-hop/soul niche. [Sep 2001, p.148]

Perhaps it's one of those unlikely Warp releases that manages to pair technical precision with an all-too-rare feeling of humanity. [Apr 2002, p.119]

The only complaint I have is that this disc clocked in just under 39 minutes, while it definitely wouldn't be bogged down by another 41 minutes of tracks like these. [Jan/Feb 2006, p.78]

All the songs are so glassy, beautiful and seemingly perfect.

Basically, it's earnest, well-crafted indie with synths. [May 2005, p.86]

Like a walk through an alternative music encyclopedia. [Jun 2006, p.113]

Although Abe Vigoda was fun and games when they first started, they show true courage in their new music.