Whereas Will Young’s journey has taken him from dark-horse winner of the first Pop Idol to entertainment royalty, Joe McElderry was the dead-cert X-Factor winner who then had to re-launch his flagging career.

Young’s musical rivals are George Michael, Gary Barlow, Justin Timberlake and Ronan Keating. By contrast, Geordie Joe’s first LP was so shabby that punters could pick it up from the pound shop within a month of release. Dumped from Sony, he had to undergo the humiliation of public audition on Pop Star To Opera Star.

Young always delivers a polished and musically intriguing album. This time, lead single Jealousy has the haunting quality of Jennifer Hudson’s Spotlight, with shades of Robyn’s detached electronic splendour, while Lie Next To Me echoes the introspective fan-base favourite Who Am I.

Echoes features a intelligent electro-pop and slightly edgy moody ballads, infused with a sip of late-night jazz. All in all, one of the year’s most essential LPs.

McElderry’s Classic at least showcases some of the talent audiences warmed to on the early X Factor auditions. But the very first song we ever heard him sing, Dance With My Father, remains the one outstanding number he has recorded.

Elsewhere, Geordie Joe offers uninspired versions of Time To Say Goodbye, She Was Beautiful and Over The Rainbow. To emphasise the desperation, I Dreamed A Dream is thrown. Incidentally, Susan Boyle thrashes McElderry’s feeble effort. Despite Joe’s recent TV audition, it may have been wiser not to have included Nessun Dorma, but we are served both this and an English translation, Hear My Prayer. Best avoid.