Can it really be three long years since Gareth Gates last had an album in the charts?

It seems only yesterday that the lad from East Bowling was catapulted to fame as the shy, stammering, fresh-faced choirboy on TV's Pop Idol talent show.

Now Gareth has a new album out - his third.

Gareth's packed a lot into his few short years of fame: a string of number one hits, tabloid revelations about his love life, being dropped by his record company...

But one thing has been constant and that's his army of fans. They've stuck with Gareth through thick and thin and they'll have been eagerly anticipating the album.

To support it, Gareth will be back in his home town in the flesh, appearing at HMV on Broadway, Bradford, from 5pm today to perform tracks from Pictures of the Other Side and sign copies.

He's been taking stock: "I took time out for some head space," he told us. And the resulting album displays a new maturity, an improved and increased vocal range and - most importantly - a sense of fun and confidence on the poppier numbers.

With writing credits on some tracks he's grown as a songwriter, too, and will be looking to reclaim his crown as pop's blue-eyed boy as well as gaining some new fans with this collection, released today through 19/Universal.

What's it like? Here's my own personal track-by-track verdict.

1 Changes: The album kicks off with a track co-written by Gareth, a slow-burner which builds into the sort of sweet and sour ballad which will herald a million last-dance snogs and probably soundtrack roughly the same number of break-ups. On first listen, not the obvious choice for the first single off the album, which it was, but it might prove to be a grower.

2 Pictures of the Other Side: The title track kicks in with a bit of pared-down electronica and Gareth's new-style breathy vocals. The piano adds that bit of heart-rending angst that would make this perfect for the soundtrack of an Eighties brat-pack movie starring Emilio Estevez and Andie McDowell falling in love, probably in a cabin near a frozen lake, with Rob Lowe breaking them up until true love finds a way. Without that fictional movie to fall back on, however, this track does sound a little dated. Not a bad chorus, though.

3 Lost In You: Ah, things get a bit more upbeat now and Gareth allows himself to let rip with an infectious little rocker. Again, the track wears its Eighties influences on its sleeve, but it's no bad thing with this number. Should do well as a single.

4 19 Minutes: Very grown-up, this, with a soulful vocal that really does demonstrate the flexibility and range of Gareth's voice. The boy's come a long way. Possibly this is a love letter to Simon Cowell's management company, 19 Entertainment, which manages the boy Gates's career. Or possibly not.

5 New Kid in Town: It's become apparent - to this reviewer at least - that Gareth's strongest on the big pop numbers like this. It's such tracks, with its slightly raw vocal, which will win Gareth new fans. Po-faced ballads are ten a penny. Let the boy rock.

6 Can't Believe It's Over: More heart-wrenching stuff. The problem with these tales of love and loss is that it never quite rings true from a young, fresh-faced lad like Gareth. True, he's grown up a lot since Pop Idol, but he's still not quite been round the block enough times to be so angsty. One for the mums.

7 Afterglow: Someone really should have paid more attention to the order of the tracks: slowy, fast one, slowy, fast one, slowy, fast one... Aside from the fact that Gareth commits the most heretical of sins by nicking the line "should I stay or should I go" from the Clash, this is an urgent little rock-pop number with a catchy hook. Thumbs up.

8 Angel on My Shoulder: Ballad time again, but Gareth offers up a slightly fresher, almost urban sound for this song, which he wrote for his mum. There won't be many mums in Bradford who can boast a pop song written about them, so top brownie points to Gareth for that. Sounds a bit like Justin Timberlake and George Michael mashed together.

9 Electric: If you've been paying attention you'll know that we're due for an upbeat one. This is pretty good. Gareth pulls off a soul-y falsetto with aplomb for the chorus to this foot-tapper which is the perfect accompaniment to a drive along the Pacific coastline in your convertible. Or up Keighley Road in your Citroen Saxo. It would have been a good finish to the album, but I suppose we'll have a slowy next...

10 Talking Minds: ...and we're right. Another little electropop number, perhaps over-breathy. Not bad in itself and shows the range and maturity Gareth has developed. I'd still have liked a big finish, but I suppose you can't have everything. All in all, the boy done not bad at all.