Dolores O’Riordan
Are You Listening?
(Sanctuary)
It’s like visiting an old friend you haven’t seen in years. Dolores O’Riordan, frontwoman of the Cranberries, hasn’t been heard from since the release of 2002’s Bury the Hatchet. Fans of the band will feel right at home with O’Riordan’s familiar Irish brogue, falling sonically someplace between Björk and Tori Amos. While it would be easy to half-ass a solo record, O’Riordan’s effort is surprisingly engaging and fearless; she doesn’t hold anything back. Are You Listening? doesn’t overstay its welcome and continues down a similar path as her previous affiliation, adding a somewhat gothic Evanescence-like flair to the proceedings. If you aren’t listening, you should be.
Trevor Savory
This article appears in Dec 6-12, 2007.