Rubyworks
2004
Into Your Heart
About This Album
The Irish band's first American release since 1993's excellent Songs from the Rain is a big improvement over 1998's disappointing Born, an album that nearly derailed the band. But the core trio of Fiachna O'Braondin, Liam Ó Maonlaí, and Peter O'Toole return to their pop-soul roots on Into Your Heart, with impressive results. As its title implies, these songs are typically moody, and the ballad-heavy collection could use more upbeat moments to spark the ambience, but this is still a stirring effort. Jumping off with a few pieces in the epic mode of their past successes, "Your Love Goes On" adds horns and the Dublin Gospel Choir to its inspirational lyrics, creating a thunderous, churchy singalong worthy of the band's best work. Ó Maonlaí is in excellent voice throughout. Confident, brash, yet sensitive, he anchors the music and even slips into a ghostly falsetto on "Better Man" when the emotional juices get flowing. There is a rather sappy '70s West Coast vibe to some of the tunes, which waters down "Alright" and makes it sound like something from an old America or Crosby, Stills & Nash album, a distraction even the prominent bouzouki can't overcome.
Track List (try tracks 1,3,4,7 and 12)

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.