Yahoo! Music Album Review

Released on 28/11/06
Label: Polydor

And so it is, Take That are resurrected. A pop band reborn. Not just with an anniversary exploiting greatest hits and a reunion tour, but with "Patience", their first Number One single in a decade. Now, "Beautiful World", their first album of new material since becoming a four-piece, attempts to do what they couldn't in 1996 - prove Take That has an actual future without Robbie Williams.

The fact that Girls Aloud and Westlife are pop's only reliable money spinners - don't mention Robbie - has long hinted at a gap in the market for an all conquering boy / girl band, with quality songs, energy and excitement. The question of questions is, ten years and six months on, are Gary, Mark, Howard and Jason really the people to fill it?

If the stadium plodding melancholy of "Patience" hasn't already given it away, the answer, delivered via "Beautiful World"'s finger-clicking thoughtfulness, is No. Their fourth studio album carries on, not so much from where Take That left off, as where Gary Barlow did. Remember, instead of turning into the next George Michael, as promised, Barlow post-Take That turned into a sentimental old fool and as sales dwindled, Woolworths pulled the plug on his solo career, refusing to stock his cuddly ramblings. Consider "Beautiful World" his revenge.

And so it is that the resurrected Take That is older, supposedly wiser (well, there are lots of over-considered lyrics), and they're far less fun. Of course, no one was expecting a 2006 equivalent of "Pray" or "Sure". The hope had to be for "Back For Good"'s close cousins. Instead, "Reach Out" is a big chorus in comfortable shoes, "Hold On" sways with vague familiarity and "I'd Wait For Life" has a piano, an orchestra and Gary's heartfelt, soft-focus unrequited love.

As if writing exclusively for the Magic FM playlist, Barlow's crafted a middle-aged cliché, peppered with occasional sparks of his old melodic charm; all too brief reminders that he was once unstoppable. The others do get a look-in. Though not specifically credited, the bizarre ELO indie-jig of "Shine" clunks to Mark Owen's strange perspective, and everyone else gets to sing a song. For the most part though, it's an album very much in Gary's image - a lighters in the air, strumming, humming, toe-tapper, always on the verge of tears; of boredom mostly.

It's exactly what you'd have expected, if not what you'd have hoped for. Which isn't to say it's wrong. Gary may have wisely guessed that girls who once threatened suicide if Take That split, are wives and mothers and prefer James Blunt to Robbie now. Maybe they just want something to iron to. In which case this is it. It's just not very exciting. Bit like Gary Barlow.

    by Dan Gennoe