Sometimes it's hard to know what, exactly, Daniel Bedingfield's meant to be. When he first appeared with ringtone friendly Number One "Gotta Get Through This", he was a two stepping, DIY cyber click genius who conquered UK Garage from his bedroom and found its long promised pop potential. By the time he'd racked up two more Number Ones with "If You're Not The One" and "Never Gonna Leave Your Side" he'd mutated into a gushing example of saccharine love.
On his debut album he played both urban legend and Ronan Keating's chubby cousin. It doesn't get more confused than that. Or does it? One thing's for sure, his follow-up certainly doesn't make his intentions any clearer.
Co-piloted by No Doubt and The Black Crowes' producer Jack Joseph Puig, "Second First Impression" is a staggering record for many reasons. There are moments, such as raw guitar and vocal demo "Draw You" and deep grooving love song "Wrap My Words Around You" where he makes mid-tempo declarations of affection sound like the best thing in the world. Then there's "Sorry", a dysfunctional piano disaster where his overwrought pleading and Queen-like drama feel like Chinese water torture.
For the most part though, "Second First Impression" is exceptional for its sheer randomness. It is an unholy mess which teeters perilously on the verge of absolute chaos. "Complicated" and "Growing Up" are taut dance-hall flavoured club shakes with Bedingfield affecting a weird Cameo style Caribbean accent. "Nothing Hurts Like Love" is smooching R.Kelly R&B. "Show Me The Real You" is Latino-love Enrique Inglesias style. "Don't Give'r It All" does "Bad" era Michael Jackson and "The Way" is a brilliant rocker, not least because it sounds, unexpectedly, like U2.
As the tracks blur by and the styles pile up, the over-riding sense is not of an incredibly versatile songwriter, but of a half decent impressionist taking off his favourite pop stars.
He should have a listen to little sister Natasha's debut album. She managed to mix'n'match her genres and still sound like herself. Until he manages to do the same, the house wives of the world who so took to his first album's breathless sincerity stand to be left just as confused as he clearly is.
