Magnet

Widely regarded as one of the best songwriting teams in pop history, the Bee Gees have never managed to translate their iconic group success across to their solo careers, with both Maurice and Barry recording a series of albums that never saw the light of day, while you have to go back as far as 1969 to find Robin's only hit, "Saved by the Bell." Hoping to change all that is the latter's first solo record in 18 years, Magnet, which rocks the boat slightly by drafting in outside influences for the first time in the band's career. Indeed, only one of the eight original tracks is written by his older twin brother, suggesting either a severe case of writers' block or, more likely, a risk-taking strategy from the more forward-thinking Bee Gee. It's a brave move which unfortunately backfires as Gibb is relegated to the sidelines on his own record. as his quivering falsetto vocals are often completely drowned out by a sea of anodyne backing vocals and Deacon Smith's watered-down R&B production, while embarrassing lyrics like "get my freak on" on "No Doubt" are an ill-fit for a man well into his fifties. Equally inauspicious are the constant Wyclef-aping ad-libs which pepper the album, the scratched hip-hop vinyl effects on "Don't Wanna Wait Forever," and the excessive use of the vocoder on the Craig David-esque "Inseparable," all of which evoke the sound of a man in the midst of a mid-life crisis. Magnet isn't as clunky when Gibb stops trying to get down with the kids, as on the plucked pizzicato strings and staccato guitar hooks of "Please," whose lyrics ("please tell me how/I'll ever get over you") are eerily prophetic considering the close proximity between its release date and his brother Maurice's untimely passing; the acoustic slow jam "Special," and the Stargate-esque reworking of Roy Orbison's "Love Hurts." The two covers which also feature his name on the credits suffer contrasting fortunes, as Bee Gees' "Wish You Were Here," a tribute to their late younger brother Andy from their 1988 album One, is unnecessarily turned into a below-par, midtempo Backstreet Boys tune, but the 2-step garage reworking of 1983 solo synth ballad "Lonely Night in New York" isn't the cheap bandwagon-jumping affair you might expect. But while Magnet does occasionally show glimpses of his genius talents, overall, it's a rather clunky affair which feels like it's sacrificed memorable melodies in return for a contemporary sound, and suggests Gibb shouldn't abandon his day job for a career in A&R any time soon. ~ Jon O'Brien