(Zomba/Sony)

Baby one more time – it’s another dose of Brit pop

From Disney-esque pop princess to tawdry train-wreck, it’s been an interesting career trajectory, to say the least, for Britney Spears. But with this sixth album, there’s a determined effort to prove she’s back on track. And for the most part, with Womanizer the hit single and lead-in cut here, she’s delivered a consistent, coherent, confident set. Much of its success can be traced to a crack bunch of svengalis, including the return of the Swedish hitmakers that got her ball rolling in the first place. The question is, of course, how much of her is actually in these tracks. The title track, the anti-paparazzi Kill The Lights and If U Seek Amy (spell it out) seem to reflect on her torrid times of late. But she’s only got credits on three tracks, and she shares these with a host of others. And with her vocals are heavily processed at times, it masks any real emotional attachment to the songs. But then, from the crisp bounce of Shattered Glass to the swooning ballad My Baby, her backers know how to present Britney’s abilities in the best light - and because of this professional safety net, it works better than you might think.   

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BILL HOLDSWORTH

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