

Robbie’s eighth album has been cast as a stabilizing exercise after the entertaining oddness of 2006’s Rudebox. True, symphonic ballad “Morning Sun” and Françoise Hardy re-boot “You Know Me” sound like imperial period Robbie (i.e. great ) but there’s pleasing adventure here too. On “Difficult For Weirdoes”’ deadpan disco, and “Bodies”’ addictive mix of choral chanting, Ian Brown-style funk-rock and soaring choruses, Robbie finds a winning balance between robust pop and playful spirit.