Latest CD releases reviewed

ROBBIE WILLIAMS

Capitol

Rob can jump on a bandwagon faster than most of us can hop on a bus, but he's about a year too late with this Ultravox-meets-Human League electropop pastiche. Or maybe Rob has always secretly wanted to be Midge Ure and wear the mustache 'n' mac.

DIRTY VEGAS

Walking the Sun Parlophone

No, it's not a new Tears for Fears tune - the dance trio whose career took off after they bagged a Mitsubishi ad are sowing the seeds of love with a strident, uplifting pop sound, and a chorus that's so sunny, it could advertise Special K.

SUM 41

We're All to Blame Mercury

Don't just blame Canada. The Ontario boyrockers are older and sharper, and wise to the culture of fear and greed in the superpower-next-door. Of course, the lyrics fudge the issue, and the chorus is candy floss. Can't alienate those Avril Lavigne fans.

EAMON

I Love Them H*'s ft Ghostface Jive

F*** it, this Staten Island rapper in't gonna sit around moping about his cheating girlfriend. He's going out for a bit of ho-wopping, to the tune of I Only Have Eyes For You. Worth a second look.

MARILYN MANSON

Personal Jesus Nothing/Interscope

The God of F*** doing the Depeche Mode classic? Sure that's like Franz Ferdinand doing a Spandau Ballet song - who notices a difference? Listen to it backwards, though, and there's a hidden Satanic message: Buy my greatest hits album or I'll eat your parents.

DECLAN O'ROURKE

Galileo RMG

Dec is a new Irish singer-songwriter, with a voice like Ron Sexsmith on Ribena, and lyrics so soppy it'll send your blood sugar rising to dangerously dippy levels. Watch out, Damien Rice - this one could give The Blower's Daughter a run for its syrup.

HUNDRED REASONS

How Soon Is Now? Sore Point

*

I could think of a million reasons not to cover the classic Smiths track, even if the band covering it aren't a no-mark emocore bunch once championed by NME for a week in 2000. The EP also has AC/DC's Back in Black, Tracy Chapman's Fast Car and The Bangles' Eternal Flame. Er, why?