WILL this be the last solo album from Robbie Williams after failing to pip JLS to the top spot in the UK charts when it came out? Will Robbie really get it on with his former group Take That? There's been a lot of talk about Robbie these past few weeks (and besides he only lost out to JLS by 3,000 units - that's 1.2 per cent).
Some say it's because he wanted to drum up publicity prior to this album's release. Others say it's just because he's got a big mouth and doesn't know how to shut it.
As it turns out, this album has been getting mixed reactions, and it's easy to hear why. Morning Sun, despite its seemingly "oh, isn't the world great?" intent, is a great opener, complete with the psychedelic revisit in the middle eight. You Know Me is a smooth ballad a la Millennium, and the retro drama of Won't Do That is just one of those moments that only Robbie can muster to great effect.
But then, there's the bewilderingly odd Bodies (a bad choice for the lead single, if you ask me), the cutesy Last Days Of Disco (the kind that should be left to the Pet Shop Boys) and the slightly meandering Superblind - all of which fail to impress.
Still, the moments when the album soars just manage to outweigh the moments when this sinks like stone. But casual listeners might want to sample this first.
3/5
Recorded live in concert, the gem in this offering is the accompanying DVD. Not only does the concert video have one track not available on the CD (Fall Through Glass), but it also has a documentary on making music videos with Jason and a featurette. Fans who missed Jason's gig here will want this just to see what a full-on Mraz gig is all about, and those who did will want this as a keepsake. A special appearance by Colbie Caillat on Lucky is the icing on the cake. 4/5
I must admit I like looking at Leona Lewis' visage. That's a good thing because this album borders on the boring. The opener, Happy, sounds like a remake of Sinead O'Connor's own remake of Nothing Compares 2 U. Which meant I quickly skipped to the next track, I Got You, which sounds nothing like the James Brown song, but begins like U2 (in a Beautiful Day-meets-With Or Without You-way). She does those vocal acrobatics previously employed by Mariah and Christina. Oh yawn. So, I spent more time looking at the album pictures than listening to the album - until I realised that she looks like an emaciated Beyonce. Now you know why this album is called Echo. Can't Leona do anything original? 1.5/5
Whoa! The first minute of the first track on OneRepublic's second album sent shivers down my spine. And no, I'm not prone to uncontrolled shivering. The song Made For You surely surpasses their previous massive hit, Apologise (a wimp of track if there ever was one, second only to Chasing Cars). But the punchy Made For You, with "all the right moves", is a great way to start a sophomore effort. The lyrical segue into All The Right Moves leads the album on a musical journey that Ryan Tedder has carefully crafted. I was ready to diss this, having not liked their first album, but I know when I stand corrected. This one works. 4/5
There is enough "country" here to keep this rooted in that particular section of your music store, but the pop shout-outs will see Carrie Underwood tagged as "crossover" from now on, like when Shania Twain released Come On Over. But apart from the very Shania-esque Cowboy Casanova and Quitter, the rest of the album sounds like Carrie "trying to be" the Carrie Underwood to all creeds and races, rather than having fun by "being just Carrie", the girl who can sing. As such, the social consciousness of Change and Mama's Song (which sounds like a latter-day I Know Him So Well) come across as rather heavy-handed. It's pleasant enough, but no big whoop. 2.5/5