Another comeback, another cruel illumination. Quite why people hold Tom Jones’s vocal prowess in such high regard is a question asked again by the Welsh belter’s new album, which, for all that — or perhaps because — Lily Allen’s producers, Future Cut, wrap his mighty instrument in achingly modish vintage-soul settings, sounds like a record Jones could have made at any point. Only once is that vocal thunder used effectively, on a gigantic cover of the Shondells’ I’m Alive; and only on the reflective, almost funereal title track does he row back to reveal a rare subtlety and nuance. Elsewhere, it’s all bluster (Give a Little Love), generic gospel lite (Seasons) or nudging, winking, wheezing priapism (Sugar Daddy). Not one to break the habit of a lifetime, Jones espies a nut and reaches for the sledgehammer. Fans will love it.

Parlophone 2649852

Editor's choice

• U2 at Nou Camp Stadium, Barcelona
• The 50 Best Movie Villains
• The 15 golden rules of theatre etiquette