By quitting the ill-fated Hear'Say just before it all went pear-shaped, Kym Marsh was presumably hoping to 'do a Robbie Williams'. And with two children and a former Eastender to support, a lot is riding on the success or otherwise of her debut album. Unfortunately, to succeed as a solo artist, you need either a strong image, memorable songs or an extreme personality - and Standing Tall shows that Marsh doesn't have any of them. The sleeve credits, incorporating a small army of songwriters, stylists and bizarrely, dentists, really give the game away - this is a tacky, directionless mess of twee rock songs and sickly ballads, all fluff and no substance. The sad truth is that Marsh's 15 minutes of fame are almost up - and this instantly forgettable album suggests that she won't be missed when she's gone the same way as her former bandmates.
