Accelerate

Album Review

Adhering to the old proverb, "strike while the iron is hot," reality show staple Peter Andre has now recorded almost as many solo albums in the last 12 as he had done in his entire career. Accelerate is his third studio LP to be released since his acrimonious split with Jordan last year, a rather prolific work rate which, unlike his 2004 pop comeback, has resulted in success both as a TV personality and as a genuine, charting pop star. But whereas his last two releases, Revelation and the Valentine's Day-themed Unconditional: Love Songs struggled to distance themselves from his dated '90s sound, Accelerate, inspired by the 2000s' dominant urban electro scene, is a much more contemporary affair. The synth-heavy uptempo tracks "Kiss and Tell" and "After the Love" are reminiscent of Jay Sean's transatlantic club anthems, "XLR8" and "Under My Skin" echo the funk-pop of Justin Timberlake's last effort, while there are songs co-penned by the likes of chart-toppers Labyrinth and Taio Cruz. Only lead single "Defender," an homage to Janet Jackson's "Rhythm Nation," harks back to the formulaic, watered-down R&B of his previous work. Even the ballads, usually the nadir of any Peter Andre album, are dragged kicking and screaming into the new decade, thanks to the clattering beats of the Ryan Tedder-inspired "Perfect Night" and the Ne-Yo-esque seductive slow jams, "Wondergirl" and "Prisoner." Without the baggage of his naff early singles and tabloid headlines, Accelerate would undoubtedly earn more credibility and acclaim than it will inevitably receive. If he could just rein in the vocal histrionics and the less than subtle lyrics, his ambitions to be taken seriously as an artist in his own right would no longer seem so far-fetched after all. ~ Jon O'Brien, Rovi