I must admit my apprehension on getting this album to review but on seeing that Pete Thomas was on drums I got more interested. Add producer Mitchell Froome to the mix and it might finally be time for me to listen to a member of The Corrs even though I can't name any of the band's songs or albums.
But I can name plenty of Pete Thomas' albums and what struck me was that on the cover Sharon gives Diamanda Galas' eyebrows a run for their money. Indeed, her hair is almost as wild as Diamanda's The Sporting Life: her album with Pete Thomas and John Paul Jones. This is my favourite Pete Thomas album, even better than his work with Elvis Costello, Squeeze or the Arctic Monkeys so will this match up musically to that incredible album? Well, obviously not, but it has its moments.
I was expecting to hate every last note of this album but have to admit to quite liking it from the opener Raindrops, which isn't the Raindrops I was expecting but an original that sounds like a very cool relaxed lounge song for a rainy day with some of the most restrained drumming I've ever heard from Pete Thomas alongside some rather swoonsome guitar.
Take A Minute sounds like a Francois Hardy song: a quite pretty little love song with nice orchestration that could almost be by Belle and Sebastian but with Pete Thomas' drums almost buried beneath the strings and not as forceful as I'm used to them being.
The way Sharon sings that We Could be Lovers will get lots of men excited at the very thought of it and as the song slowly builds and falls like the peaks and troughs of a none too torrid affair we all want her to be out of her mind and losing control with us, but even as she sings those lines she sounds far too in control to ever be as wild as the lyrics suggest.
Upon an Ocean sounds like it could be a Sounds Techniques production with the soft brass and early 70's soft rock feel to it. The question is, though, would you want her to be with you tonight? Well maybe in the right circumstances and with a different soundtrack.
The soft piano intro on Edge Of Nowhere evokes some middle of nowhere landscape in the bleak midwinter and the song has that sort of fireside ballad feel to it especially when the tear jerking violin breaks up the solo piano on the rest of the song.
Full Circle has some nice upfront drumming and it's the closest Pete Thomas gets to let rip a bit as this is a bit of a faster song but still mired in the relationship problems that seem to haunt Sharon throughout this album. It's almost upbeat, you could say.
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On My, Oh You Say, Sharon is practically begging to be allowed to put him back together, the poor dear can't take the strain whatever has she done to him. No, she isn't a wild woman with a steak knife, I doubt it was that frightening and she didn't threaten him like Diamanda would. But still go on let Sharon help you. Thinking About You continues the theme as she is pleading for this fool to have her back because she's, like, addicted to him and needs to go to Boyfriends Anonymous for help or something like that.
The Runaround is wistful and an overly pretty look at what sounds like jealousy with the ex-that's now running around in new clothes, obviously with some new prize. Sharon might be angry about it but you'd never know it with her vocals sounding like polished silver.
The Same Sun is a rueful look at her journey and where it's taking her. Well judging by the songs on this album, it's to a darkened room to have a good cry before going and finding a new man who cares for her. Any volunteers?
The album closes with what I guess will be her Christmas single, Christmas Night. This is one for holding up a candle to as she misses the poor fool that's left her to this ennui and longing as the piano carefully caresses her soul. This is no sing-along Christmas hit though. It's much more about crying late at night because you've been dumped at Christmas and only Sharon can feel your pain as you drink another bottle of red wine.
I'm sure Sharon's legion of fans will be happy with this album and as someone whose friends reacted with horror at the thought of listening to a whole Sharon Corr album I have to say it was an awful lot better than expected and actually worth a listen.
Sharon Corr online
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