Five years ago, the popular opinion of Eminem was that he was a violent, childish, homophobic misogynist who managed to sell records simply because of the shock value of his lyrics. Then, as if overnight, the previously hostile public opinion of him softened, and he came to be accepted as a valuable social commentator. There were a couple of reasons behind this, the self-aggrandising biopic "8 Mile" being one of them, and the massively successful crossover single Stan, which showed that beneath the layers of misanthropy and hate, there was a real human being with some real emotions.

"Encore" is an album that, consciously or not, shows Eminem eager to embrace this new, softer, more refined persona. The cover artwork is quite interesting in this regard, instead of the traditional white trash outfits he's known for wearing, Mathers is even wearing a rather conservative looking suit. Perhaps it's a reflection of the fact that, in addition to being a talented musician, he's also shown himself to be quite the capable businessman.

The biggest difference here is in the songs though. While the vocal barbs and taunts are still here, poor Kim cops yet another serve of them, the order of the day seems to be introspection and contemplation. Yellow Brick Road, for instance, is a number where Em apologises for a racist rap that he recorded when he was younger. Like Toy Soldiers is another interesting piece, conveying a sort of resigned regret at all the pointless feuds that Em has let himself get drawn into. Ass Like That takes aim at the entertainment media's bizarre fascination with painting underage starlets as sex objects, and Mockingbird, the requisite Haley song, is also pretty good.

In terms of beats, the album is pretty much business as usual, although a couple of the tracks dip into generica, like Dre couldn't even be bothered even attempting to come up with anything interesting. Despite the altered lyrical content, pretty much every song here still sounds like it's come from Eminem. The usual guest stars also make an appearance, but

There are a few missteps on this album. Just Lose It sounds like your standard Eminem diss track, until you realise that he's just poking fun at Michael Jackson. I mean, Michael Jackson. If there are any easier targets out there, I don't know what they could be. My First Single has a decent beat, but the sound effects which give the impression of Eminem sitting on the can are pretty unnecessary, and lets face it, he's witty enough that he doesn't have to resort to crappy toilet humour in order to get a laugh.

"Encore" sounds like a transitional record, which it probably is, but it's got some moments of real genius on it. If Em can cut out the faecal humour and bitter personal rants out of his next record, and maintain the sophistication and maturity that he's starting to display here, then he might be able to make a case for himself as a great musician, and put to bed all those doubts that he's nothing but a gimmicky novelty act.