Pictures of the Other Side - Gareth Gates

Pictures of the Other Side was Gareth Gates third album but his first which did not include any cover versions. The conventional wisdom is that a teen star can't possibly spend four years away from the limelight and expect to return as if nothing happened. The conventional wisdom is right in the case of Gareth Gates. who had grown up and recorded an album of mature ballads and mid-tempo rockers which deserved more exposure but didn't get it, presumably because many people did not give a former teen star a chance. After all, this was the boy whose repertoire up to this point had consisted of a range between yet another version of "Unchained Melody" and a cheeky recording of "Spirit in the Sky" for Comic Relief, but Pictures of the Other Side was altogether more mature, right from the quiet opening bars of the first track and single, "Changes." He used emotional string backing throughout, especially on "Can't Believe It's Over." and another highlight is the second single, "Angel on My Shoulder." If this is the sort of adult material that Gates wanted to record from then on, and if he was finally doing what he wanted rather than what the Pop Idol crowd expected, it could be safely assumed that he couldn't care less about chart positions or longevity with one project. The album also included an extra track, "Drive" on the download only version. ~ Sharon Mawer, All Music Guide