There’s no escaping the rattlesnake that is Robbie, as he rounds off a rhythm that is as musically smooth as it is lyrically irreverent.
A smashing lineup of fourteen tracks that borrow a bit from his previous "Swing when You’re Winning", "Escapology" is a splendidly-arranged assemblage of orchestral ballads, like "Love Somebody" and "Come Undone", and rock-and-roll aces like "Song 3" and "Handsome Man". But the songs to look out for are the ingenious "Me And My Monkey", that tells a bizarre story with a Spanish spiral, and "Sexed Up", a pseudo sentimental trap that snaps with its acid lines.
Explicitly provocative yet musically taut, "Escapology" smokes of the same brazenness that’s become Robbie's musical style. Pick this one up right now.
This article was first published on12 Dec 2002.