When Rachel Stevens - the artist formerly known as Rachel S Club - decided to try her luck as a solo star, she knew she could count on the support of at least one fan. What luck that it was Simon Fuller, uber-manager, mogul and the nearest thing to God in the modern pop industry.
What else explains the fact that 'Funkydory' has been assembled so swiftly following S Club's split, in an industry where the first rat off the sinking ship (Robbie Williams, Ronan Keating) nearly always reaps the rewards? Not to mention the fact that so much of it is the kind of superior champagne pop that Atomic Kitten would sell their unborn children for.
'Funkydory' is a record for the thinking pop fan. Though Stevens has cannily retained the songwriting services of S Club hitmaker Cathy Dennis, she eschews the cheap and cheerful approach of her old band for a slinky adult confidence and musical eclecticism that most closely recalls Liberty X or Sugababes. Most will by now be familiar with the ingenuity of the strumming single 'Sweet Dreams My LA Ex', which manages to be both understated and utterly addictive. The surprise is how good the rest of the album is.
Take the teasing title track, which not only samples Bowie's 'Andy Warhol' but also crams in arch references to 'pop art' and 'technicolour super-reality', the kind of lyrics more usually associated with Brett Anderson than a stage school airhead. Then there's the sassy, guitar propelled catchiness of 'Fools', with its sly references to life as a factory pop star, 'on a leash having no fun, yeah, I'm always stuck'. Best of all is the sulky strut of 'Silk', with teasing harmonies and moody attitude worthy of the glorious, much missed TLC.
If 'Funkydory' does have a flaw it may be that it's a bit too clever, a bit too sophisticated for its own good. Songs like 'Solid' or 'Blue Afternoon' are glossy but strangely aloof, with any personality Stevens may have submerged beneath the gorgeous sheen of the consistently excellent production. Of course, that might just be the final barbed joke in an album full of them.
