Dolores O'Riordan Albums (2)
What The Critics Say
If the title of Dolores O'Riordan's 2007 debut Are You Listening? asked a question appropriate for the launch of a solo career, the name of her 2009 sophomore effort is a statement of purpose: she's heading into this next phase of her career with no expectations, No Baggage. Of course, she cannot leave behind her distinctive voice, nor does she wish to, as she gives her two trademarks -- the breathy whisper and lacerating caterwaul -- almost equal space here. That doesn't necessarily mean that O'Riordan relies on the familiar throughout No Baggage. Yes, this is instantly recognizable as her music -- not just in that voice, but its blend of folk-rock and sighing, spacy rock that splits the difference between U2 and David Gilmour-led Pink Floyd -- but No Baggage is bigger, brighter than Are You Listening? and as the album starts to hit its stride halfway through, she weaves in increasingly varied instrumentations, sometimes delving into pure worldbeat influence but more often using all these sounds as coloring on crisp, cheerful adult pop. These clean, open arrangements tend to make the songs seem catchier than they actually are -- the hooks don't grab, they repeat like softened incantations that never quite catch hold -- but that does give No Baggage an nice, gentle shimmer that's appealing. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
'Are You Listening'
Release Date 5/7/2007
Tracks 12
Label Sanctuary/Sequal
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
It's been a long period of quiet for Dolores O'Riordan, the lead singer of the Cranberries. Her band quietly disbanded after the 2001 release of Wake Up and Smell the Coffee and although she didn't disappear, O'Riordan surely wasn't overly active, popping up on music by Angelo Badalamenti and Zucchero but primarily devoting herself to family affairs before she set out to record her solo debut with producer Youth in 2006. Released the following year, Are You Listening sidesteps the turgid proggy inclinations of latter-day Cranberries albums while also avoiding the awkward attempts at hard rock that plagued some of the band's mid-period albums. So, it returns O'Riordan to her strengths: melodic, atmospheric, mildly brooding pop. But Are You Listening isn't exactly a dead ringer for Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We? Youth gives this album drama, grandeur, and muscle, so it sounds positively cinematic where early Cranberries was quiet and insular. Of course, this sense of scale is only appropriate for the modern-day Dolores O'Riordan, who has long been a star but where that sense of confidence could turn indulgent on latter-day Cranberries albums, she's now relatively humble and direct, singing songs about family, faith, and nostalgia that sound relatable to fans who have grown up with her and are also facing similar issues. And that's why Are You Listening is a success as a solo debut: it doesn't resurrect O'Riordan's earliest work as much as reconnect with it, and she hasn't sounded this purposeful, or made a record this satisfying, since the days of "Linger." ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
