Dolores O’Riordan
Are You Listening
(Sanctuary ***)
More than five years after her band, the Cranberries, quietly disbanded, Irish songstress Dolores O’Riordan has reemerged with a solo effort worth the wait. Aside from a few artsy collaborations, O’Riordan had been keeping a low profile, working on this disc and raising her children. It’s no surprise, then, that issues related to family - love for her husband, the birth of a child - are sprinkled throughout, but the Youth-produced CD sounds more inspired than self-indulgent.
O’Riordan smartly sidesteps the overwrought, prog-rock flavorings of the end-stage Cranberries to focus on her greatest strength: a supple, strong voice that works best with melodic pop. Revved up by urgent guitars, sweeping keyboards and driving percussion - not to mention some nicely cinematic songwriting - O’Riordan takes on everything from romantic love (”Apple of My Eye”) to a death in the family (”Black Widow”) in a muscular fashion.
- Nicole Pensiero