A Quiet Life could be New Order squaring up to Sonic Youth, while drum machine grooves ground sparse guitar melodies before egging them into a Fugazi-like thrash. Whispered, yelped and chanted vocals add to the sense that this is musical cross-pollination gone right.  Full text...

It is an album of considerable clout, point and adventure, merging the city's deep-rooted hedonistic mind-set with a melancholic blue sheen stretching from Ian Curtis to Doves. Generally either on the way up or the way down, the three-piece are resolutely skilled at mining undeniably glowing passages of chrome guitar music.  Full text...

The Longcut sound totally, unashamedly and magnificently Mancunian.  Full text...

It remains a very good debut, in any case, one that has just about been worth the lengthy wait. If you're expecting a masterpiece, however, this isn't one - despite some moments of true magnificence, this is a difficult record to digest, and one lacking around three or more great tracks to elevate it to classic status.  Full text...

Repetitive beats and go-nowhere tunes such as Holy Funk, an annoying two-second break that skips for four whole minutes, are the ultimate in background dirge fare.  Full text...