This album is only worthy of more than one star for provoking a reaction. That, at least, is better than being merely another dull shade of musical grey. But only marginally.

This is a startling new direction, and while not entirely successful, it confirms Cornell as a vocalist of versatility and strength.

If plodding indie-by-numbers with the odd nice tune thrown in is your bag, jump right in. Those seeking a bit more invention may care to look elsewhere.

They sound nice, look nice but you'd be pressed to find any substance.

Verve tracks such as Northern Soul and This Time were surprisingly successful attempts at funk. But the similar fusions attempted on United Nations Of Sound are so poorly executed that the album has to go down as a pompous, self-indulgent rock folly.

(ONe) is decidedly safe and anything but experimental.

Fortune is the kind of record that will please Brown's many deluded female fans, but we cannot with good conscience give it a single star.

This is flat, formulaic and forgettable.

For the most part, however, The Female Boss is a cynical and dire product which invites the riposte: Tulisa, you're fired.

If you want to stretch your wings further, you need originality and you need not just bravado but actual courage--and Viva Brother's world is neither brave nor new.

Neontwang is a successful comeback from a band that have been written off more times than they would care to remember.

While this is a solid effort--and a more solid one than anything they’ve put together before--it’s not likely to set the world, or the charts, on fire.