Album Review: Will Young - Echoes

Will Young - Echoes

Nearly ten years after the loveable Will Young defeated popstrel Gareth Gates on his way to securing one of the biggest selling singles in UK chart history, the singer is back with his fifth studio album, Echoes.

This time, Young has decided to adopt a synth-based approach (with help from producer Richard X) which, to be fair to him, largely comes off. Single and opening track Jealousy is reminiscent in sound and structure of Joe McElderry's take on Donkeyboy's Ambitions, while the rest of the album chugs along in a likeable but ultimately samey vein. His occasional lapse into daft falsetto (such as on Safe From Harm) doesn't really help although there are some nice moments here - Silent Valentine is laid back, synth driven loveliness.

Part of the problem I have is that Will Young seems to be one of those people whose fame has resulted in him spectacularly disappearing up his own fundament, and so I find myself increasingly disliking him personally. Whilst I suppose that shouldn't affect what I think of his record; it does, which actually is a bit of a shame.

Echoes is the sort of record that would happily accompany a late Sunday morning as you eat eggs and bagels and pick through the newspaper supplements. It's good to a point, but its lack of variety ultimately means you mentally (or literally) switch off by the end.