Neil Young - only love can break your heart, 1970

"'Only Love Can Break Your Heart' is an absurdly simple little tune. It's in waltz time, and the structure and instrumentation are sparse to the point of minimalism. Piano, guitar, bass and drums strike up gently and plod along together, happily oblivious to the fact that there don't seem to be any off-beats."

Club 8 - what shall we do next, 2003

"songs will make you smile and cry and smile and cry... and afterwards you will feel soothened, comforted, awakened, cleaned and enlightened, more alive than ever and never lonely again"

This Mortal Coil - the jeweller, 1986

"What I do know is that the album itself is very very good, just as its predecessor. Again, the meaning of it remains obscure. It's a long long long collection of mood pieces, fully fleshed originals, reinvented covers, experimental avantgarde sonic collages, and what-not. In general, it seems a little bit more accessible second time around, maybe even more commercial in a sense. In fact, many of the songs would probably easily fit the definition of "alternative adult contemporary" - if you thought the two things were oxymoronic, take a listen to this album. These are moody, static-oriented, inoffensive, inobtrusive songs, yet with a certain unique brand of creativity and depth that's all their own. Let me just namecheck a few of these ditties. Dominic Appleton takes lead vocals on the extremely pretty folk ballad 'The Jeweller' (credited to Thomas Rapp of Pearls Before Swine fame), with a gorgeous 'he knows the use of ashes' chorus and typically 4AD-ish otherworldly backing vocals."

Barclay James Harvest - rock n roll star, 1976

"we have Woolly's Ra which is up to his usual standards and Les weighs in with two of his better numbers Rock n Roll Star and The World Goes On. These are good jaunty pieces with singalong choruses. Overall the album has a lovely pastoral feel with some excellent guitar work. To me this is one of the best BJH albums and one I return to regularly."

Enya - the celts, 1987

"Initially released simply as Enya, The Celts shows that the style she became famous for on Watermark was already well under way. With production and lyrical help fully in place thanks to her husband-and-wife gurus Nicky and Roma Ryan, Enya's combination of Celtic traditionalism and distinctly modern approach finds lush flower here. All the elements that characterize her music -- open, clear nods to her Irish heritage, any number of vocal overdubs to create an echoing, haunting feeling, and layers of synth and electronic percussion -- can be found almost track for track. The flip side is that those who find such a combination to be gloopy mush won't be at all convinced further by her work here. It's understandable why folk music traditionalists and anti-mainstream types would get the hives, but those not coming from that angle will find much that's rewarding."

Genesis - silent sun, 1969

"From Genesis to Revelation is the only Genesis album which the band themselves do not own the rights to. Jonathan King retains the rights to the album, which he has reissued multiple times since, including a 1974 release as In the Beginning and a 1987 release as And the Word Was.... A reissue in 2005 included a bonus disc with extra tracks."

Del Amitri - the whole world is quiet, 1992

"Singing this Scottish quintet's praises is easy, but explaining why they sound so appealing isn't. No one would have raised an eyebrow if Change Everything, their third album, had slid out of Britain during the mid-'70s prepunk days. Lead singer Justin Currie sounds like the Guess Who's terminal shlub, Burton Cummings. Still, something at the core of Del Amitri -- intelligent songs, lyrical depth, nifty musical hooks -- sets the band apart."

Marillion - blue angel demo, 1998

"Misplaced Childhood was "not only the band's most accomplished release to date, but also its most streamlined... With its lush production and punchy mix, the album went on to become the band's greatest commercial triumph, especially in Europe where they would rise from theater attraction to bona fide stadium royalty".

Art Garfunkel - mrs robinson live, 1996

"I never tire of Art Furfunkel and his energy and spirit I hear when I listen to him. He is a great artist who stays connected to a reality that touches the mind and heart, love, joy and sorrow. He connetcs to the ethos of the spirit."

Soft Cell - bedsitter, 1981

"Bedsitter" is a song by British synth-pop duo Soft Cell, from the album Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret. Released as a single in early 2 November 1981, it reached No. 4 in the UK. A song that explored the underbelly of the London club scene of the time, it has been described by critic Jon Savage as one of the greatest songs of the 1980s. Pet Shop Boys singer Neil Tennant included the track in a 2006 edition of the Guardian's "Soundtrack of My Life" series."

Au Revoir Simone - lark, 2007

"On "Lark", glistening keyboards finally eschew the emotional detachment of the record's earlier slow songs, beneath an even-toned admission: "Sometimes I want to be enough for you."

Beach House - other people, 2012

"I just wanted to shoutout an amazing song that I think is underrated and also cemented my love for Beach House. I first heard Zebra and thought it was cool but it didn't really connect with me then. Years later, Other People was my next introduction to BH and it just resonated. I loved the intro, Victorias vocals, and the buildup to an amazing chorus to then slowly fade out. I then listened to Bloom and well the rest is history. With all of my praise of their whole discography, Other People will always have a special place in my heart."

New Order - turn, 2005

"The most affecting songs here are about second chances, reaffirming commitments and the terrible seduction of straying. Sumner has rarely sung better and "Dracula’s Castle" and "Turn" feel like older, wiser revisions of "Run" or "Fine Time". The title track, meanwhile, is a superb example of the surging, bittersweet grace of classic New Order, at once Apollonian and mordantly English."

Echo And The Bunnymen - flowers, 2001

"Flowers features the familiar psychedelic-tinged pop songwriting, chiming guitars, and unmistakable voice that have always been the group's trademark, but 20 years down the road, experience, nostalgia, and longing have tempered the band's sound."

Saint Etienne - dj, 2012

"Over twenty years on the clock for Saint Etienne and, having been absorbed in various distractions for the last seven of those, here is album number eight. In the early-’90s, the indie dance scene was gathering steam and the band were swept up with it, providing a mellower antidote to bands with an inclination towards rock."

Genesis - undertow, 1978

"Undertow in unashamedly romantic for the ageing prog rockers and the whole album it was taken from – And then there were three – was generally more accessible to a mass market, including as it did tracks such as the rather lovely ‘Many too Many’ and ‘Follow You Follow Me’."

King Crimson - the lizard suite live, 2017

"Jamie also changed mine. I consider it a privilege to have known, and benefitted from the company of, a man of such quiet power, even briefly. He struck me as one of those about whom one might truthfully say he was a beautiful human being. He will be much missed. Goodbye, Jamie."

Electronic - second nature, 1996

"Second Nature" is a song by Electronic, released as the group's seventh single. It has an autobiographical lyric by Sumner which concerns his youth and growing up, while the music has a groovy shuffle which contrasts with the stricter dance tracks on its parent album Raise the Pressure."

The Cranberries - what's on my mind, 1999

"I was into The Cranberries in the mid nineties but lost interest when their third album came out. I re-discovered them a few weeks ago and am completely blown away with their brilliance. I've only heard the first four albums so far but I am seriously in love. My favourite is still 'No Need to Argue' due to it's anger and deepness ( a bit like Dog Man Star). But of course the real star is Dolores's voice. She is definitely my favourite female singer."

Art Garfunkel - bright eyes live, 2019

"The amazing thing about “Bright Eyes” the song is that it actually manages to live up to my terrified imaginings – Art’s lovely, strung-out vocal managing to sound like the graceful, fatal will-o-wisp of the film’s Black Rabbit, the vision you chase even though you know where it is leading you to: “following the river of death downstream”, what a great line, or at least it becomes one with Art singing it with that slight beckon in his voice."