Ah, what we’ve all been waiting for, another Robbie album, I know you’ve been lying awake at night wondering when it will come, well, it’s here and the world is better for it.

Supposedly recorded in his ‘bedroom studio’ (this is Robbie Williams and EMI so don’t patronize us by trying to make it sound underground please, it doesn’t work), this, his sixth album is also his first without main collaborator Guy Chambers, his place being taken by 80’s two hit wonder Stephen Duffy.

Having never had the pleasure of experiencing a whole Robbie album, I had many questions I needed to be answered, how long will it take for the first arrogant statement about being great to be made, when will he allude to being gay and when will the self loathing and whinging about his life start, it doesn’t take long.

The answer to the first of those questions is with the very first lyric sung on the albums opener, ‘Ghosts’, “Here I stand victorious, the only man who made you come”, oh, you can see that, sorry, I’ll clean it up.
It’s typical Robbie fodder that will have the Homebase inhabiting couples who only go to one gig a Year (either Robbie, Coldplay or if they are feeling adventurous – Keene) fumbling about for the lighter and moving their lips to the words not actually singing because they can’t remember them, business as usual, then.

Comeback single, ‘Tripping’ has more charm especially when the sweet trumpets kick in, it’s one of his finest efforts and a track which has constantly being referred as ‘only number two’ due to its chart performance, number two what a failure, I bet Robbie is thinking of packing it all in.

Elsewhere, ‘Make me pure’ is a great attempt at an early 70’s Stones ballad with Robbie moaning about telling a joke that no-one laughs at, a rarity in that it’s a track he’s made that is still bearable after a few listens.
As for tracks like the annoying rocker ‘Your gay friend’ and ‘A place to crash’ these are the kind of cringe-worthy wannabe Oasis pap that made you want to slap him in the first place.

All in all, not a total waste of fifty minutes but fifty minutes that could be used more resourcefully. 6/10

Chris Todd