The whole album is deep and atmospheric, with the right amount of up-tempo treats.

Cookie is a true musical treat that more than hits its mark with seriously sublime style. [Aug 2002, p.118]

Brilliant.... This album sounds like Albarn and Danger Mouse are an inspired team. [Jul/Aug 2005, p.101]

More Heart Than Brains is a title that perfectly captures the spirit of this album.

The boys have yet to prove their worth with the tender, mellow bits... and one can't help but wonder how strong Favourite Worst Nightmare would have been as simply a full-throttle, adrenal-tapped EP. [May 2007, p.92]

The band plainly “rocks” and on Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix they have perfectly translated that ability onto their proper recorded output--for better or worse.

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

In a sentence, Q-Tip’s long-awaited release looks to get people to thinking, loving, and dancing, as usual.

Instead of hip-hop, Betke now appears inspired by the hypnotic riddims of Krautrock and the New York art-dance scene of the 1970s. [May 2007, p.97]

Autechre are mulching electronic music, letting their code sweat and rot in the heat. In doing so, they set off a complex ecological process that is interesting to watch, if not always pretty to listen to. [#84, p.105]

He merges genres and styles, and it's impossible to resist his bass heavy and chest bursting productions.

Although the vocals initially may spark fears of self-indulgent been there’s and done that’s, the musical beast which duels with the lyrics stays on point and goes beyond the point in miraculous fashion.

You could buy this album just for "Poney Part 1," and really, it'd be worth it. [Jun 2005, p.81]

There's always something a bit fresh to the way Cox decides to articulate his musical notions, and this album shows that regardless of the ways his influences and ideas phase around each other, the impressions he presents are among the most appealing to be found.

Modest protest songs, lack of money and painful love is the platform on Good Things. He deals with hardship in an uplifting manner and with smart lyrics.

Silent Alarm doesn't just maintain Bloc Party's post-dance-punk appeal, it blows the fucking lid off. [Apr 2005, p.100]

His best full-length. [May 2007, p.98]

This one’s not as immediately accessible as "Affair," but still maintains Lindstrom’s position at the top of the electronic scene.

Experienced as a whole, Condors is a multi-course meal that features some familiar dishes and some foreign with ingredients that require a bit of acclimation-but they're all delicious.

With the release of this new album, There Is Love In You, he's shown his versatility in dancefloor culture while remaining true to his own soundscapes. The result of this new venture may be the most satisfying Four Tet experience since 2003's release of "Rounds."

Everything fits in place to up the game of something else, and no part of these finely made blues and soul creations gets a pass on pulling its weight. That’s just how it works for Brothers.

If The Horrors began as a Halloween novelty, Primary Colours is like a twisted ending right out of the Twilight Zone--a hype beast that turned out to be a real monster.

Untouchable. [Jun 2006, p.117]

It's creative, enlightening, and altogether fun.

Unyielding in its murkiness, but all the while strangely accessible, it is a generous full-bodied offering handed to us by these otherwise blurred figures.

Contra is cohesive and concise; it may have the effervescence of California, but it is over in a New York minute.

This is XTC times Elvis Costello plus the finest moments from the Americana greats and then some. [Apr 2005, p.108]

Freedom rock at its most liberating. [Jul/Aug 2006, p.116]

Lyrically, Khan really cuts loose, switching from everyday matters to sinister fantasies, often during the same song, and all with extraordinary confidence.

The Books have found their way out of convention, and they've been kind enough to invite us all along with them.

Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings are back with their fourth album I Learned the Hard Way. It’s another authentic, heart-felt album filled with heartache and daily struggles.

The young studio maverick has given us something entirely new, but it's not perfect. It's not an inconsistent album, but it has a few unnecessary fillers. His unrestricted, deconstructed, sparse and minimal productions are unique and he deserves all the hype surrounding him.

The vulnerable sound that you known and love--all slide guitar and open chords. [May 2006, p.94]

The music is accessible and poppy without dumbing-down the analog arrangements or their coffeehouse terrorist aesthetic. [#84, p.114]

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

The album overall shines with Martin’s production, with chills provided by filters, reverberation and the sense of shaken souls crying out each track in the album.

Their efforts are ambitious and commendable, but it seems like it will end up as one of those albums that may captivate you for a couple weeks--but will eventually be ousted from your recently played.

Sweet femme fatale vocals, oceanic synth waves and shoegazing guitar riffs abound on these sprawling sound confections. [Jun 2005, p.85]

The Nashville crew's sound has slowly aged from alt-country to Stax-styled soul and now brooding ballads. [Jul/Aug 2006, p.122]

Another impressive and complex recording. [Sep 2006, p.139]

A must-have for true J Dilla fans. [Apr 2007, p.104]

No build-up is too big, no feedback too catartic as this wall of sound is topped by the rising sun. [May 2006, p.94]

Back to Black is overflowing with the '60s Supremes warmth that has been fully absent from the "standards" of today's R&B. [Apr 2007, p.108]

[The appeal] is in the warm, '70s synths that float melodies into the druggy stratosphere, giving the band's shifty downtempo rhythms and vaguely experimental production a retro-sexy touch. [Nov 2002, p.98]

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]

Jay Stay Paid is a smooth hip hop ride. It is an effort that should be applauded and J-Dilla is a producer whose contributions will be appreciated from years to come. This album is another piece of evidence that testifies to that truth.

While his work with Deerhunter remains impressive, Cox allows himself the most freedom while writing as Atlas Sound, and on Logos his risks are all rewarded.

Kindness sounds like the work of someone given one month to live, as Snaith lays down dozens of musical ideas into an album that will constantly keep you guessing what's next. [May 2005, p.84]

Nothing will blow you away here but a good listen taken in total.

Definitely the earbuds experience of the month. [Oct 2005, p.85]

Beautiful. [Apr 2005, p.108]

Annie explodes with a white-hot teen spirit that shames 99% of what passes for pop in America today. [Jun 2005, p.76]

Elsewhere is exactly what you thought it'd be: a daring piece of work from two artists not afraid to take chances that pay off. [May 2006, p.81]

Dependable? Yes. Beautiful? Definitely, yes. [Apr 2007, p.107]

Cold and sweet all at once while perched atop a reef of moody Krautrock, Let the Blind Lead has a progression that melts more than it floats.

Like attending a bombastic revival of Kraftwerk, Eno and Devo presided over by a Juan Atkins and Derrick May DJ tag team. [Jul/Aug 2005, p.102]

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

The ’Hunter may not have bagged a 14-point buck this time around, but Microcastle is still good enough to stuff and mount on the wall.

Black Dialogue has finally captured the Perceptionists' on-stage charisma and fraternity. [Apr 2005, p.103]

As always, Doom steps up and kicks out clever lines with the ease of someone still not bored with their talents. [Jan/Feb 2005, p.93]

Lif's strengths as an MC make his tight narrative focus on the protagonist's plights palpable. [Sep 2002, p.104]

A wonderfully dance-ridden companion ot the intelli-disco carved out on 2005's The Sunlandic Twins. [Jan/Feb 2006, p.81]

What Sufjan did in The Age of Adz is so beautiful and rich and complicated; he ended up telling the story of what life is for so many people who just end up turning the gears of the larger machine.

The Shining stands as a combination of Dilla's best sides. [Jul/Aug 2006, p.130]

Icky Thump is a fearless album, braving a bold bunch of weird rock transformations: slick studio radio glam, southern jukebox boogie, Scottish Highlander mandolin jaunts (!!), stuttering mariachi machismo, comedic skits, etc.

The Norwegian maestro of disco, Hans-Peter Lindstrøm, teams up again with Christabelle (also known as Solale), and together they craft a masterful 10-song pop album.

Each song is perfectly buoyant and bold standing alone or considered on the whole. [Jan/Feb 2006, p.95]

A definitely worthwhile rocker, but nothing you'll raise an eyebrow at. [Oct 2005, p.76]

It's the album many heads wished Lauryn Hill had come back with instead of that weepy acoustic exercise. [Mar 2003, p.94]

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

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

[Their] rain-soaked misery [is] now nicely offset by a simmering rage. [May 2006, p.82]

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.

Using familiarity to its advantage, this duo is smart to refine its palette, making even the most migraine-inducing compositions seem like comforting lullabies.

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

To fans that listened to Rage as a means to get "pumped up" and bring the "mosh" you’ll probably be disappointed by the lack of work out music. But to the fans of Zack’s militant poetry, listen and enjoy.

A fluid transition is made into album closer Circulation, an exhilarating piece where the not-so-secret-weapon, drummer Moses Archuleta propels the band through the universe that's made Deerhunter's records so repeat-worthy; that place where reverbed typhoons are miraculously contained and space is somehow kept taut.

Black Milk, Guilty Simpson & Sean Price have that triple threat chemistry a la Jason Terry, Tyson Chandler & Dirk Nowitzki. Any album that makes you want to cop the instrumental version gives it legs and Milk has clearly emerged as one of the top producers in the game.

The Golden Age of Apocalypse has an extremely rich and cosmic-like atmosphere, making you instantly reach for the repeat button. Stephen Brunner is no more a sideman; he's a solid jazz cat that doesn't need to jerk off with his bass wizardry.

There's a quality of randomness on The W that prevents it from cohering as an album. But even if it's just a collection of songs, The W is undeniably impressive, packing the kind of gritty, aggressive anthems that have been notably missing from most of the recent Wu solo albums. [#82, p. 148]

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.

No Age might be what you've been seeking this whole time. If you're just a music snob and pride yourself on some peculiar yet ostensibly good sounds, this is definitely for you's as well. If you're looking for something else, something that utilizes more traditional instruments toward a particular and thought-provoking sonic texture, I sincerely recommend mathematical rockers No Age as a band altogether and thus unreservedly their work on Everything in Between as well!

It's an unusual back-and-forth that delivers rapturous results on the seven piece band's sophomore record Own Your Ghost.

Every song ends like a firework finale and fragile chords explain more about the human condition than words ever could. [Jan/Feb 2006, p.78]

Daedelus weaves his sounds into an intricate sonic tapestry that pleases the ears while stimulating the brain. [Jun 2006, p.110]

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

Worthy of being considered among the year's finest. [Dec 2004, p.106]

The jury's still out on if such obvious nods to commerciality will fly with their diehard audience. [Sep 2005, p.104]

There was a lot going on, but it's not until now... that El-P's music could actually be called full. So full that even silence weighs a ton. [Mar 2007, p.95]

In many ways, Twoism is more satisfying than their more difficult second album, Geogaddi. [Dec 2002, p.88]

The distorted pop ambience of Outside Closer could very well make these Brits the Notwist of 2005. [Mar 2005, p.118]

Quasimoto is Madlib at his most creative and compelling. [May 2005, p.83]

This long player is an ecstatic thrill ride through a world of comic minutia to tide FOTC's cult fan base over until their second season resumes after HBO's typical year and a half gap. [May/June 2008, p.92]

Nothing stays as it seems for long, but the dense ethereality they've created with Narrows definitely leaves a lasting presence on even passing listeners.

Swanlights is seemingly effortless - the mark of a master at work.

Expect to see this album on 2006 Top 10 lists. [Oct 2006, p.118]

Clocking in at 21 tracks, Felt 3 has room for just about everything: a bunch of skits, battle-rap anthems, story-telling (dark and lighthearted alike), and, somehow, the energy of a young Rosie Perez is maintained throughout.

Beyond doesn't break any new ground, but... it's as refreshing as anything you're likely to hear all year. [May 2007, p.93]