Robbie Williams - Escapology

Everywhere* in the world, Robbie Williams is a pop star without peer. When placed next to the Britneys and J-Los of the world, it's easy to see why; Robbie shines head and shoulders above most Top 40-dwelling dreck, thanks to his intelligent, finely-crafted tunes and - most importantly - a refreshing unwilingness to take himself too seriously. Miss that little asterisk that started the previous paragraph? It's going to prove important. You see, I meant "everywhere" to exclude America, arguably the single most important market for popular culture worldwide, a place where most consumers like their entertainment easy to digest and irony-free. Oh, and if possible, as non-British as you can get. As such, Mr. Williams has quite the formidable task ahead of him. Unfortunately, in his desire to "crack" the US, he's submerged a little too much of his natural appeal, hedging musical bets via midtempo, Adult Alternative Radio jams, like the weak "Feel," that wouldn't sound out of place following up David Gray on your local lite music station. But it's not just the mellow stuff that disappoints. Clever, self-deprecating numbers like his past album's "Rock DJ" are eschewed in favor of (relatively speaking) bland rock riffs, inspired by Robbie's recent residence in Los Angeles, a place that's world renowned for (ahem) inspiring creativity. Fortunately, all is not bleak. Genius songwriting partner Guy Chambers is still in top form, and is able to infuse numbers like "Me And My Monkey" with a sophisticated musical sensibility falling somewhere between Beatles and Bacharach. And even subpar RW tunes are better than most "pop" music currently clogging radio stations. If Robbie really wants to make it here, he's going to have to realize that watering down his biggest strength - subversiveness in both music and attitude - isn't the best escape route to American success. [www.robbiewilliams.com]