Conveniently released as his career comes full circle, is the first greatest-hits collection from the original Australian Idol, , who has recently returned to his talent show roots, this time as a judge, on his homeland's version of The X Factor. Initially awarded a six-album deal, it's a testament to his vocal abilities and songwriting skills that, unlike many of his fellow winners, he's remained popular enough to see out his rather ambitious contract, scoring five number ones since his victory in 2003. This comprehensive two-disc, 30-track collection, which reveals a subtle and natural progression with each album, explains why he's managed to survive once the show's publicity machine died down. Three tracks appear from his debut, , including first single power ballad the biggest-selling song of the decade, alongside a re-recorded version of his most well-received Idol performance, all of which sound as formulaic and generic as you'd expect from an Idol winner. But like his U.K. counterpart, , showed that he was more than just a pop puppet for album number two, the R&B-influenced , which featured co-writes with the likes of , and his own idol, . Its three singles, the funky the jazz-fused and the acoustic slow jam are all included here, showcasing a more authentic soul voice that had previously been smothered in layers of MOR production. It's a sound that he surprisingly abandoned on third genre-hopping album , represented here by the melodic pop ballads and the feisty rock number and the chilled-out orchestral title track, none of which really played to 's strengths. He returned to what he does best for follow-up , a collection of Memphis soul covers produced by guitarist , where he impressively more than held his own on heartfelt and passionate renditions of 's Five tracks appear from his most accomplished album to date, , which was inspired by its predecessor's authentic classic soul sound, including an emotive duet with American Idol and the brilliant Brill Building pop of the title track. Unfortunately, the -featuring one of two new tracks on the album, surrenders to the -style electro-R&B sound that's become annoyingly ubiquitous of late, but the bluesy and the bonus disc featuring acoustic reworkings of ten of his hits suggest this is just a momentary blip. has failed to make any impact outside Australia, but as the consistent proves, his joyous, effortless, and soulful vocal talents deserve to be heard by a much bigger audience. ~ Jon O'Brien