With his profile firmly in the ascendant thanks to his judging role on The X Factor, now is as good a time as any for Gary Barlow to release his first full-length solo album in 14 years. There are no surprises here, apart from ill-judged attempts to ape Mumford & Sons' jaunty folk-pop sound on Let Me Go and More Than Life, and an unremarkable turn from Elton John on the piano-pop-led Face to Face. Overall, though, this is a reliable collection of balladry and harmony-flooded pop songs, with nods to The Beatles (Small Town Girls) and 1970s AOR (God). Perhaps the most curious thing is that many songs, among them Requiem and 6th Avenue, seem suited to West End musicals. Could that be the next stop on the songwriter's career path? garybarlow.com

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