Having spent the majority of his first two albums bitterly attacking his boy band years, it seems Robbie Williams has finally got Take That out of his system. Which means that for most of Sing When You're Winning, he is either ecstatically happy, in cheeky party mood--as with disco single "Rock DJ"--or reminding all just what a huge star he is, as with the self-appreciating/depreciating mock arrogance of his Kylie duet "Kids": he raps with a nod and a wink "I'm an honourary Sean Connery/single handedly raising the economy/ain't no chance of the record company dropping me". He's right of course, but his joy is only surface deep. With his Take That hate gone, his mocking humour has nothing to focus on--nothing except his own failings: lack of love and real self-belief. And so it is that Robbie indulges in a string of ill-advised, down-mouthed acoustic plodders, "Better Man" ("Angels" Mark II--but not quite), "If It's Hurting You", "Love Calling Earth" and "Road To Mandalay", where he shows just how frighteningly sincere he can be. Touching as they are, it's when the snarling attitude and big anthems like "Let Love Be Your Energy", "Supreme", "Knutsford City Limits" and "Forever Texas" are in full flow that the star shines and Sing When You're Winning sounds like the best thing he's done. --Dan Gennoe