Take That: The Circus - new album review!

Nov 27 2008 By Paul Cole

(Polydor)

THEY defied expectation when they made their Beautiful World comeback. They smashed all records when they shifted £35 million of tickets earlier this month for their New Year tour of the UK.

So could “difficult second album” syndrome be avoided when the Man Band went into the studio to record the sophomore set of their Second Coming? Would The Circus really come to town?

Well, yes and no. Like its predecessor, THE CIRCUS (Polydor) boasts one killer track. Hit single Greatest Day is as pop-perfect now as Patience was back in 2006. It’s easily the best song here.

Next up are Gary Barlow’s Coldplay clones.

You, Said It All and the minor key title track are hugely influenced by Chris Martin & Co. You half expect Barlow to rip off his mask to reveal a manically grinning Martin beneath.

Not that it’s a bad thing. Take That have added hummable hooks and pop sensibilities to those sublime sonic swoops.

On the other side of the coin, cheeky Mark Owen – now officially the democratic band’s frontman – offers the vaudevillian Hello, a sort of 60s take on ELO’s Mr Blue Sky. It’s irritating, but annoyingly likeable after a while.

Elsewhere, Up All Night recalls Simon & Garfunkel’s sell-out era, Hold Up A Light has the