Ignoring the "Precious" side of Chrissie Hynde's rocking and writing, The Singles still captures a good bit of what was special about her in the '80s. Bopping assertions of strength ("Brass in Pocket"), wistful dreaminess ("Talk of the Town"), flat-out weepers ("2000 Miles"), her tough-mom attitude ("Middle of the Road")-the many sides of her seven-inches are generously surveyed herein. -Rickey Wright.

The ultimate slow-burner, Travis's second album infused its way into the psyche of post-Radiohead Britain with an endearingly humble grace. It's not quite certain how Travis went from being the happy-clappy Britpop also-rans of their debut Good Feeling to becoming the gifted pop craftsmen that moulded the gentle emotional trough of the chart-topping The Man Who, but it would seem that the tired, lonely lovelorn niche is one that suits Travis rather well. So, "Writing To Reach You", "Driftwood" and "Why Does It Always Rain On Me?" are the meekest songs to ever eat daytime radio alive. Elsewhere, "As You Are" sounds like Thom Yorke swaddled in blankets, and the closing "Slide Show" punctures rock mythology with an impossibly beautiful lyric: "There is no design for life/ There's no devil's haircut in my mind/ There is not a wonderwall to climb, or step around". -Louis Pattison.

He's tried his hand at indie-rock, big-band swing and brash pop music-so where does Robbie Williams' fifth album take the popular British entertainer? Escapology is far removed from his previous albums: it's a serious attempt to make something as credible as it is accessible-so no more bubble-gum wonders such as "Rock DJ" or "Kids". Robbie has now matured and makes adult-orientated rock or middle-of-the road pop music. Lead single "Feel" is standard adult-pop fare that one might expect from the likes of Phil Collins or David Gray; it's redeemed, however, by Robbie's noticeably heartfelt vocals-though perhaps not the best singer in the world, you can tell he means every word he sings. The highlight of Escapology is the gigantically epic ballad "Love Somebody" in which his voice is pushed to its very limits and is pitched over a lush backdrop of brooding strings and a rousing gospel choir. Unquestionably the ballads reign supreme-the heavier rock numbers are large and impressively produced with a cheesy touch of soul, filled with brash horns and pub-rock arrangements in what feels like an attempt to follow Oasis but ends up being more like Toploader. Robbie's lyrical content is still very personal and much of it harps on about what a hard time he has being a pop star ("How Peculiar" and "Something Beautiful"). To fit his new mature style, there is less self parody, although his sense of humour and wry observations do shine though on "Handsome Man" and the catchy but silly "Me & My Monkey". Last but not least, the first track written entirely by Robbie himself, "Nan's Song" is a simple and moving tribute to his late grandmother. Although by far not the best on the album, Robbie will probably take comfort in that, firstly, it's good enough to be on the album and, secondly, it's better than Liam Gallagher's first effort. -David Trueman.

Pulp's much-anticipated follow up to Different Class seemed, at the time, to disappoint those who'd expected more of Jarvis Cocker's turbulent kitchen-sink scenarios. Instead, in This Is Hardcore the band dished up 12 tracks of introspective claustrophobia based around the fall-out of the dramas they'd previously essayed, as well as Cocker's own double-edged popularity. Most of the tracks have hints of sleazy sex - the title track and the sublime highlight "Seductive Barry" being the most overt - but the perils of being the ageing partygoer are equally realized in "Party Hard" and the opener "The Fear". Likewise, the music is suitably ominous; possibly due to guitarist Russell Senior's departure, there's plenty of dense soundtrack moments and plenty of electronic flourishes that complement the mood well. That's not to say it's all doom and gloom; the broken-hearted man about the house in "TV Movie" or the cathartic "The Day After The Revolution" are both classics. Indeed the only real mis-step is the lengthy running time. The bonus disc collects all of the excellent B-sides from the singles, most notably the essential "Ladies Man" and "The Professional", and while the unreleased demos aren't as enticing as those on the concurrent reissues, they'll certainly be well received from Pulp's ever-loyal fanbase. -Thom Allott.