Skimskitta is starkly personal, increasingly hermitic, resulting in only a handful of immediate rewards. [Mar 2003, p.94]

This well-engineered album's ideas have been gestating a little too long. You might just say it's the best album of 1998. [Sep 2001, p.152]

This could be a great album with some gentle editing and condensing. Many of these songs cannot support the weight of 8 or 10 or 12 minutes, although the extended length seems to be nearly the whole point of this album.

The signature post-rock and cleverly monotonous Stereolab aesthetic is still present, and continues to be refreshingly innovative.

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]

Terrific tunes. [Apr 2005, p.102]

Her eponymous debut is the closest thing to “Betty Davis Eyes” or “Stand Back” recorded for our generation, and yet it isn’t nauseatingly retro.

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

Unlike the first record, which relied on Temple alone to fill out the layers of the songs, Pigeons utilizes the full band, and improves because of it. The songs are better composed, and more interesting: the experimental bits, which were a bit of a distraction, are more focused and purposeful.

This is one groovy, swinging collection fans of all ages can dig. [Apr 2006, p.86]

At its best moments, the latest effort from Stars yearns for the flicker flame of "Set Yourself on Fire," but it is neither as gorgeous as nor is it as jarring a mixed bag as "In Our Bedroom."

Dance Mother is musical pixie dust illuminated by a warm neon glow. There is a great sense of magic and wonder in Telepathe’s music, their chirping, fairy-like, multi-tracked vocals providing a feeling of childlike awe.

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 fantastic reminder of the visceral power of hard-stomping, neck-snapping techno. [Jul 2002, p.100]

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)

Grieves still knows how to make catchy, emotive indie rap with the best of them.

Unfortunately, it's the production that doesn't meet the previous standard set. [Apr 2007, p.101]

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

Sensuous goes so far beyond the borders of radio-friendly melody that it's hard to recognize the Cornelius of bygone days. [May 2007, p.93]

In Alpinisms, School of Seven Bells have themselves one of the year’s most intoxicating debuts.

A couple tracks may become short-lived flings, but for the most part, the pleasure to be had from Temporary Pleasure will not be short-lived.

Zero 7 have perfected the formula for folk jazz that transcends definition and defies classification, always taking you on joyous rides that often end at a truly unexpected place. [Jun 2006, p.108]

Despite the scattered feel of the album, its individual components are undeniably solid and easy to listen to.

A bewitching brew of triumphant introspection that, while not unprecedented, is still plenty personal. [Mar 2003, p.95]

This album is truly an odyssey where if a picture paints only a thousand words, these songs can paint an entire film.

Positively electric. [Sep 2006, p.143]

The songs heave with shockingly real energy. [May 2005, p.85]

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]

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

Eugene McGuinness is a time traveling disc where Eugene blends his creativity with sounds of the past. And although this may have not been intentional, it is somewhat still appreciated.

Fish Outta Water is a very strong project.

Genetic World finds Telepopmusik vying with Zero 7 and Naomi as the next legendary collective. If only they'd lose tracks 6 and 7. [Jul 2002, p.102]

Atlantis will rock your body--if you open your mind. [Jan 2007, p.79]

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.

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

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

Depeche Mode have produced another album fit to fill headphones and stadiums, leaning more towards a muted commercial than perverted side, but for 30-year veterans there’s really nothing wrong with that.

It stands out as a piece that’s refreshing, bold in musicality, and still defiant as ever--just the way we like our Gossip.

Intimacy offers the most ideas that Bloc Party has ever put on display. Skip the first two tracks and you'll find more hits than misses.

They've delivered highly re-playable 13 song study in the G blues chord's progression, spanning '50s hillbilly rock, '60s garage and '70s glam and punk. [Sep/Oct 2007, p.129]

If you’re wondering what electronic music is missing, look no further: Scars should serve as a reminder (if you needed one) that Basement Jaxx are an essential piece of the puzzle.

Vocally, Del may have lost some of his lyrical miracles and "spectacular vernacular" from albums past, but his unquestionably familar cadence hasn't budged a bit. [Jan/Feb 2008, p.104]

They take their place among the scruffiest, ugliest and most crowd-pleasing bad guys the West has ever spat out. [Sep 2006, p.131]

This is an album loosely forged in all those places where pop, rock, funk and soul congregate and it's hard to imagine it all coming together much better.

Depart From Me is a cohesive album of dark hip hop from an MC in top form.

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.

There’s an intriguing, never pandering, blend of genres on Be Brave–from soul to blues to modern day indie rock-packaged as Texas blues–making the record a more interesting listen each time around.

They still manage to inject their manic bursts of beats with gentle, even sweet melodies immersed deep in the cacophony. [May 2005, p.84]

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

Thankfully, the results are still pure Blues Explosion. [Jan/Feb 2005, p.94]

Tecnicolor Wall of Sound confections. [Apr 2006, p.96]

The adventure slightly disappoints. [Apr 2007, p.108]

Far better than the Cranberries in retrospect. [Sep/Oct 2007, p.131]

Producer Stephen Hilton's light-handed touches mesh well with the mood of the brooding Briton, but the hints at electronica keep things lively enough throughout.

Positively dripping with crude funk. [Mar 2003, p.95]

The only aspect that prevents this album from achieving flawless cohesion is the fact that each track sounds so distinctly different, so much that it’s almost a chore to readjust to the new sounds one is bombarded with from track to track.

Blockhead blesses three tracks with sublime beats, proving what a pair they make. [Mar 2005, p.118]

Monkey: Journey to the West is a testament to Albarn's versatility as a musician and his melodies' ability to avoid becoming losing their power in translation.

With Both Sides Of The Gun, Harper proves he's prolific, diverse and relevant. [Apr 2006, p.86]

The album may not be the most cohesive collection of songs, but it’s infinitely entertaining, delicate and precise in its construction, and a solid debut from a couple we can only hope to hear more from.

Should find a home on your iPod alongside Zero 7 and Brazilian Girls. [Jun 2005, p.85]

The path to orchestral bombast continues on So Divided. [Dec 2006, p.118]

Compared to 2003's Living In America, the disco-punk is less explicitly Blondie-biting and actually noticeably more weary, but no less propulsive and vamping. [Mar 2006, p.119]

Post-modern pop hasn't sounded this good since the Postal Service. [Dec 2004, p.110]

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]

it is pretty much the same thing we all loved from Hercules and Love Affair. Does that mean this album is bad? No, it's fabulous. There was just no risk, no movement.

It rocks--hard. [Apr 2006, p.90]

While his past two Anti-/Epitaph releases showed a heavy punk influence, Li(f)e is a groundbreaking amalgamation of folk, indie rock and hip hop.

Needless to say, for a band only formed in January 2008, not only is this release very ambitious, but also well meticulously well crafted.

A bit more variance in terms of these aspects would have rounded everything out. Other than that minute observation, The Sun & The Neon Light is a fantastic album.

The defining thread running through Chromeo's body of work is earnestness: you might scoff at the Lothario-obsession, the legs on display in the artwork, the almost-religious adherence to '80s stylistics, but in the end you either have to a) give it up for their studiousness, or b) just dance.

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]

With Screenings, Herren continues making complex compositions sound wonderfully smooth. [Mar 2006, p.116]

A track like "Grape Juice City" indeed showcases the duo's tendency to prance upon unique wavelengths and make them their own but, a little extemporaneous head-butting between the sounds would keep Ratatat atop the sonic badlands they created.

Collas and Marquand hold things down with DJ tightness, while members of bands like TV on the Radio and The Dap Kings let loose in the grooves.

French Kicks have smoothed out the jagged guitars and off-kilter rhythms... in favor of a cleaner, more understated sound. [Jul/Aug 2006, p.120]

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]

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

With its lush layers and shoegaze indie sound, You Can’t Take it With You forecasts clear skies for the guys.

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 curious but highly enjoyable mix of experimental beats and good old-fashioned guitar rock. [Jul 2003, p.92]

By the time things conclude with mannerly closer "The Great Estates" it's been made perfectly clear that this is a band ready and able to create visions with enveloping scope and delightful articulation.

There are no absolute standouts as on past albums, but that is okay. Where Did The Night Falls is less concerned with purity of individual songs, and more focused on the audible aesthetics produced by its eerie experiments in sound. And for that, UNKLE has another winner on its hands.

His sixth record fuses together the best of his ability, the remarkable piano compositions and absurd lyricism, with production outsourced to Berlin electronic producer Boys Noize.

Oizo’s latest effort easily becomes the pitch-perfect soundtrack to an epic night out, reminding us that these cats across the pond know exactly how to make electronic music seem both strange and familiar, music that practically anyone can enjoy.

Mathematics’ more traditional drumwork keeps this distinct from a RZA production and provides a surprisingly snappy cohesion to the whole affair.

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

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]

Little on RUOK possesses commercial cache, but what is that against a career-defining turn? [Nov 2002, p.96]

For Living Thing, they ditch the comfortable confines of the airy, featherweight pop they perfected on Writer’s Block for more sonically adventurous territory and prove in the process that their prior success was not just a fluke.

More light = more fun. [Mar 2007, p.101]

Musically, The Hacker provides syncopated New Wave beats with the timeless precision of a musical scholar. [Mar 2002, p.118]

This live album may provide an aperitif for those who've never seen the band perform. [May/June 2008, p.93]

Strap on your seatbelt, 'cause you never been on a ride like this befo.' [Jan/Feb 2006, p.78]

[A] well-programmed compilation. [Jun 2005, p.79]

Being a gluttonous hard-ass has been a tough requirement to scratch from the 10 rap commandments, but a growing trend in transparent MCs finds Atmosphere atop the pedestal of its post-Prozac and Adderalled audience. Maybe good dads just make the world better, one damn fine album at a time.

British Sea Power have shown their competence and achieved another level of musical integrity--the album, perhaps best enjoyed when paired with the film, nonetheless holds its ground as a standalone product, expanding the mise-en-scène of the film enormously and contributing to the documentary (if perhaps problematic) legacy of Robert Flaherty’s work.

This album pays less attention to the club lights and feels more clubbed over the head emotionally. [Sep 2006, p.136]