2007 solo debut from the former Cranberries vocalist. Written and
recorded in Dublin and Canada and featuring production from Dan
Broadbeck and accled musician/producer Youth, whose many
production credits include Paul McCartney and U2. The album was
written and inspired by her personal experiences over the last
four years including her marriage, the birth of her third child
and the death of her mother-in-law. 12 tracks including the first
single 'Ordinary Day', 'Loser' and 'Apple'.
.com
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It's been a long wait for the solo debut from Irish icon Dolores
O'Riordan. After all, the Cranberries issued their swan song in
2001. After their break up, O'Riordan collaborated with Germany's
Jam and Spoon, Italy's Zucchero, and David Lynch composer Angelo
Badalamenti. She also appeared, as herself, in the 2006 comedy
Click. All the while, she toiled away on her first solo effort.
Fortunately, good things come to those who wait. Co-produced by
Youth (the Verve, U2), Are You Listening? is a throwback to
1980s-era Siouxsie and the Banshees and Sinead O'Connor--sweeping
keyboards, forceful drumming, and muscular guitar work. It may
seem like a melodramatic move, but the music never overwhelms the
slight yet steely figure at the center of the maelstrom,
particularly on the lilting "Ordinary Day" and haunting "Black
Widow." Cranberries fans expecting something more demure may be
taken aback, but O'Riordan's supple voice should win over most
skeptics. And lyrically, she compensates with tender words
inspired by her husband ("Apple of My Eye"), the death of her
mother-in-law ("Black Widow"), and the birth of her youngest
child ("Ordinary Day"). --Kathleen C. Fennessy
More from Dolores O'Riordan and the Cranberries
Ordinary Day (Single) (
/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000NVIWYM/ref=ed_mus_6x_dolores )
Everybody Else Is Doing It So Why Can't We? (The Complete
Sessions) ( /exec/obidos/ASIN/B000068VHP/ref=ed_mus_6x_dolores )
No Need to Argue (The Complete Sessions) (
/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000068VHQ/ref=ed_mus_6x_dolores )
To the Faithful Departed (The Complete Sessions) (
/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000068VHR/ref=ed_mus_6x_dolores )
Bury the Hatchet (
/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00000ILTA/ref=ed_mus_6x_dolores )
Stars: The Best of the Cranberries, 1992-2002 (
/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00006IX0R/ref=ed_mus_6x_dolores )
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About the Artist
----------------
Dolores O'Riordan - songstress, smoldering icon and critically
accled voice of The Cranberries - is back. Her first-ever solo
LP Are You Listening? is released on Sanctuary Records, May 15th
and features the stunning new single "Ordinary Day." Co-produced
by Youth, Dan Broadbeck and engineered by Rich Chycki, the
eagerly anticipated album is a 12-track tour de force and marks
her first release in four years.
Written and recorded between her homes in Canada and Dublin, the
album is a striking return to form, punctuated with angular
chords and that crystalline voice. Folk-tinged, electric and
deftly powerful, it's also a relentlessly melodic success. "My
time after The Cranberries was a clean slate - no pressure and no
contracts," Dolores enthuses. "It was the first time in my life I
was a free agent. I had no inhibitions, which is how I felt when
I first started out. That's all visible here."
Two of the tracks - "Apple of My Eye" and the forthcoming single
"Ordinary Day" - were produced by BRIT Award winner, Youth, whose
previous credits include The Verve, Embrace, Primal Scream, U2
and Paul McCartney. "He certainly brought his own vision to the
table and softened the tracks without affecting their integrity
or passion."
Ultimately, the CD was a process inspired by personal
experiences, both light and dark. "My mother-in-law died of
cancer shortly after I left The Cranberries, which was
devastating. It was like watching a beast attack from the inside
out, so the song "Black Widow" is a metaphor inspired by that. At
the other end of the spectrum "Apple Of My Eye" was written about
my husband and "Ordinary Day" reflects the birth of my third
baby, Dakota."
Other album highlights include the hypnotic "In the Garden," with
its shimmering guitar-rock crescendo, the delicateness of "Watch
the Stars," and "Loser," which bristles with loops, layered
vocals and an instant, razor-sharp hook. "It was a very ,
natural experience." Dolores adds, "I play guitar and have four
fantastic musicians...a great bass player, a stellar drummer and
an immaculate guitarist. Once the first 7 songs were penned, we
went into the studio and recorded them first. We didn't rush it.
In total, the writing and was a four-year period."
"The album was an awakening for me in my life - a journey that I
completed. It's like I crossed a bridge, which is a great new
plateau to be on. My life is so different to how it was 10 years
ago and there's a great sense of acceptance. It's a very exciting
time to be releasing music again too. Song-writing is truly
coming back."
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