Back Home

Westlife aren’t exactly full of surprises. If they were maybe we wouldn’t be here discussing the release of their ninth (yes, NINTH!) album, another sure-fire number 1 a staggering eight years after their first. Barely breaking sweat at any point over their career, slow and steady wins the race it seems--and song after song after song of just-so pro-forma arm-waving heartache fits that bill. Flip them over and you’ll find guarantees tattooed to their spines--and you can’t knock them for sticking to the rule-sheet like good boy scouts, can you? Of course they’re boys no longer, not that you should expect amendments owing to that fact. Their sound has been afforded maturity in recent years and we get a smooth continuation of that on Back Home, particularly evident on "I’m Already There" as they sing earnestly of missing their kids when away from home as emotions swell courtesy of climbing orchestration and cracking voices. Their voices cradle each other in their famously supportive Motown-aping style throughout, but particularly on "Have You Ever" as Shane steps ahead and aims beyond Ronan Keating’s heights with his keen lead. The album’s token upbeat song "The Easy Way" almost surges into N-Sync territory with a perky horn section, but your pulse needn’t be alarmed. There are no immediately obvious additions to their greatest hits canon (perhaps the Michael Buble penned "Home", given time), but Back Home will reinforce whatever it is you think about Westlife–-guaranteed. --James Berry