Outkast: Idlewild

After the heady heights of Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, you can't help but expect genius from Outkast, even if it comes in separate packages.

You still get it on their sixth album, but with less focus, as the two creatives try to move back in together.

Big Boi tends to prefer the more conventional raps and rhymes, whereas Andre 3000 likes to deviate with exotic tricks. Idlewild, at a sprawling 78 minutes, sounds a little like the two butting heads and struggling to find room for all their ideas.

The concept was to create the soundtrack for their musical movie of the same name, set in Georgia in the 30s and 40s, which should set alarm bells ringing for those wanting a pure pop experience.

That said, only Dre seems to cavort in the blues, vaudeville-style jazz and cinematic circus music. Big Boi's tracks tend to be funkier, mellower and more memorable.

On the last album, we almost forgot we were appreciating something clever. Idlewild smacks of cleverness, to the point where it can be distracting, and at worst irritating.

Some of Dre's tracks, such as Idlewild Blue or PJ & Rooster, will leave you feeling like you're missing out on the pictures.

The eccentricities work best on songs like Morris Brown, which, absurdly, turns a marching band into a hit.

Or when Dre leaves the production to Big Boi and focuses on rapping, like the seductive - and pleasantly skew-whiff - N2U. The Train, a more conventional hip-hop track, is another sublime use of the musical theme, with soaring horns and warm, layered vocals. The rest of the time the quirks are a little artificial. Makes No Sense at All almost sums up this wobbly but interesting ride.

Verdict: Too many cooks but this broth is still hot