Albums: Robbie Williams Britpop

Robbie Williams – Britpop

Rocket; Spies; Pretty Face; Bite Your Tongue; Cocky; All My Life; Human; Morrissey; You; Its Okay Until the Drugs Stop Working; Pocket Rocket.
(Columbia)

If fans of Robbie Williams were expecting him to deliver a set of songs such as Angels or Let Me Entertain You on his new album, then they might be a little disappointed. This is his first album of all new songs since The Heavy Entertainment Show in 2016. Britpop is – as the title suggests – a throwback to the songs of the pop music genre that ruled the pop charts over thirty years ago. Add to that a big dose of rock along the lines of heavy rock, and you have the basis of Williams’ new album.

Rocket is a good example of what to expect here, as well as opening the album. Williams also opened his last arena tour with the track. The Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi features on the high-energy rock number – though you could be forgiven for thinking that the opener was an old Status Quo number with the chugging riff and in-your-face melody. The Britpop influences come to the fore on Spies, sounding as it does like a long-forgotten Oasis track, which continues again on All My Life. Gaz Coombes from Supergrass has co-written the track Cocky in keeping with the Britpop references, though older listeners will recall the Sweet’s Blockbuster on this glam rock stomper with a lyric that, like most songs on the album, is all about himself.

There is even a tribute to another Manchester icon – Morrissey – on a track that tries to understand the enigmatic star on a track Williams has co-written with his former Take That member, Gary Barlow. It would be interesting to see what Morrissey thinks of the song – like Williams, both men are never lost for words.

Bringing things more up to date Human is a ballad which is about artificial intelligence; the track contrasts with what so far has been a very rock-orientated ride. Featuring Mexican pop duo Jesse & Joy and Coldplay’s Chris Martin on one of the best tracks on the album as Williams steers away from Britpop territory.

Whilst the album might not appeal to many of his fans who have followed Williams since he left Take That – this is probably the album he always wanted to make when he left the band at the height of the Britpop craze, though it has taken thirty years to get around to recording it.