Though he is an international megastar, Robbie Williams hasn't even a made a dent in American pop culture. It's not hard to see why. His sweeping ballads would work best on adult contemporary radio but his racy lyrics and sex fiend persona make marketing to that demographic a difficult task.

Williams' sixth album won't do much to solve the problem. The record is filled grand string arrangements and lyrics that don't match the mood -- on the mid-tempo "Deceptacon" (which is surprisingly dull for a song named after the Transformers villains) he sings "Microwave yourself today/Save yourself for a rainy day." The line, the song, and much of the album don't come off as clever, just boring.

Luckily, there are some worthwhile moments. Williams plays to his strengths on the swarthy, subdued dance floor number "Last Days of Disco." And "Difficult for Weirdos" is not only the liveliest track on the record but also explains why conservative American housewives haven't fallen for Williams like the rest of the world. "I got my eyes made up at the bus stop by my girlfriend/And you know what?/She likes me different/She likes me strange." Everyone knows guyliner is just for teens.