RICHARD X RICHARD X PRESENTS HIS X-FACTOR VOLUME 1 ALBUM VIRGIN RELEASE: AUGUST 27, 2003 REVIEW: SEPTEMBER 8, 2003

Richard X is quite prepared to accept criticism; I am quite willing to give criticism. This could be fun…
Being the creator of two of the biggest hits of last year (the fantastic "Freak Like Me" and the fantastically irritating "Being Nobody" sung by the Sugababes and Liberty X respectively) I was quite willing to come knives out for this full-length venture, and to my disappointment it doesn’t actually disappoint. In fact it is actually quite good!
Richard seems to have an uncanny knack of creating a tune, whether from his own hands or "sourced" from what appears to be a gigantic knowledge of the history of electro-pop culture; he is equally at home creating new tracks, or taking the old and putting a modern slant on it.
This very up-beat album contains some killer tracks - the amazing Gary Numan sampling "Freak Like Me" which deserves a place in anybody’s record collection, along with the fantastic Kelis-vocalled "Finest Dreams" which deserves on merit to be the next single, matching the awesome electro Sugababes hit stride for stride.
Working with a number of different vocalists has given Richard the freedom to work around the artists (including Jarvis Cocker, Kelis and current pin-up boy Tiga) and each time create something that is both immediate and timeless at the same time.
The only qualm on what is a hugely successful album is the aforementioned Jarvis Cocker sung track which is too sugary for its own good. A bit of a disappointment from the former Pulp frontman, but it only lets the album down slightly.
I’m sorry Richard - that last quote was the best criticism I could do, the rest of the album is so damn near perfect pop that I had to find some kind of chink in the armour! For those still not convinced that I am a reluctant convert, listen for yourself. Then I dare you to say something bad about it, I dare you!

MIKE WHYTE