Souce:
As the lead vocalist of the hugely popular group the Cranberries, Dolores O’Riodan left the imprint of her powerful, ululating pipes on the eardrums of millions of listeners in the late 1990s and early 2000s. After that band’s dissolution in 2001, O’Riodan took her time putting together a solo album, and it wasn’t until 2007 that ARE YOU LISTENING? was finally released.
ARE YOU LISTENING? is melodic, lilting and, somewhat surprisingly, packs more of a punch than anything the Cranberries ever released. In fact, the sound here tips its hat at times to the underground rock of the early ’80s, keeping the focus on thumping rhythms and chiming guitars. O’Riodan’s voice is as compelling as ever in this context, especially on album highlights like “Ordinary Day” and “Human Spirit.”