Average: 4.78 Controversy: 2.84
KA: I used to go to school with Rich you know. I did I did! 8
TE: Somewhat worrying that the year’s best bassline belonged to 5ive. 7
MD: Achieves a convincing toughness that not even Backstreet’s paradigm-[…]

Average: 5.01 Controversy: 3.06
FS: If it was an instrumental, it’d be higher. I just don’t buy Bega as a ladies’ man, and his attempts to be such are extremely repulsive. 5[…]

Average: 5.03 Controversy: 2.71
PL: Ballsy Beatley pop for the 4/4 kids. 9
MD: As anti-climaxes go, it’s still pretty great. 7.6
AE: Fun. Lyrics are meaningless compared to excellent ‘Brothers Gonna Work It Out’ (i.e. “Leave H[…]

Average: 5.18 Controversy: 3.24
AT: Nearly takes the mantle from Sheryl in the drunk-woman-in-bar stakes. I want to see her duet with Bryan Ferry. 10
TE: Variety-show country: great material, good patter, sass, sawdust and showbiz. As instantly, prof[…]

Average: 5.22 Controversy: 3.29
TE: Look, if the fantastic fist-pumping bogosity of the Rads’ white soul doesn’t get you, just consider that he publically disses Beck, and rejoice. Amazing pop, no question. 10
NW: The kind of wonderful MO[…]

Average: 5.42 Controversy: 2.39
AE: It’s very nice… every time I hear it I think about ROLLING ROCK yes ROLLING ROCK why don’t you DRINK some ROLLING ROCK and then you will meet a WOMAN. An INTERESTING/BIZARRE one. DRINK ROLLING ROC[…]

Average: 5.38 Controversy: 2.15
FS: I don’t know if ‘lovely’ is really appropriate, but it’s one of the most alluring things I’ve heard this year. 8
MA: A lovemaking anthem. 6
NR: Nice, no more or less. 5
AT: Dance music[…]

Average: 5.67 Controversy: 2.35
JM: Nuts and bolts churning around in a tumbledryer. Great. 8
DS: I like Smog. I like the way he sings out the corner of his mouth, face all twisted up. 7
AT: Horrible rasping Bowie impression – sounds like it co[…]

Average: 5.82 Controversy: 2.72
MD: Nowadays, even Madonna uses motorik, and not too shabbily at that. 7.1
NW:As irritating as Blur’s current rebranding of themselves as sensitive indie rock heroes has been, I must say that “Coffee and TV[…]

Average: 5.93 Controversy: 3.02
AE: A bitter, menacing slice of raw groove that deserves to go down in history. Try if you can to walk like a man. But YOU DON’T FOOL MEEEEE… sings the cuckolded nightclub singer. Take it any way you wish. […]