Musical versatility can work wonders, as Daniel Bedingfield has proved in his attack on the world charts — and singer-songwriter Robin Thicke also creatively brings together several genres on his debut album, A Beautiful World (Universal). The hit single When I Get You Alone, sampling Beethoven into a bouncy hip-hop/funk vibe (not a new idea, but it works), is just a small taste of the full Thicke flavour — and it’s not all aimed at the dance floor, either. Opener Oh Shooter sounds like a leisurely drawled soundtrack to an electro-western, before Thicke lays on the lots of ambience and feelings in the gentle, jazzy sounds of the title track, which ponders the pros and cons of the big bad world out there. Suga Mama has an upbeat, retro-funk edge, with Thicke coming across in a Prince falsetto; Vengas Conmigo is a sexy, salsa-soaked and part-Spanish drinking song; Make a Baby is a sweet, happy and charming love song reminiscent of The Beatles. There is even a dash of swinging rock’n’roll when Thicke pushes up the tempo on Flex or tackles war, racism and freedom on the twanging Cherry-Blue Skies.A Beautiful World was co-produced by Thicke and Pro J (whose inspired drumming on many of the tracks is noteworthy). Despite the many strands in Thicke’s music, he pulls it all together rather well (no doubt boosted by his input in the production room); the album is an interesting and textured showcase of soulful, jazz- and funk-flavoured beats and ballads, well worth a listen.