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Surprised by Sinead Sinead O'Connor: Sean-Nos Nua ROCK AND POP Will Young: From Now On The Datsuns: The Datsuns Royal Trux: Hand of Glory Ostle Bay: Love From Ostle Bay
Hummingbird, GBP 14.99
THEY all do it eventually: George Michael and Bryan Ferry, with their recent albums of standards; Robbie Williams and his big band project; Damon Albarn and his musician pals from Mali; Marc Almond's dedication to increasingly obscure chansons. Inside every musician, except possibly Brian Eno, there is the desire to pamper themselves on that special album, part labour of love, part vanity project, where they get to horse around with other people's music.
Now, having done her orchestral album, Am I Not Your Girl, Sinead O'Connor sneaks in another covers collection, finally realising her ambition to record some of the Irish love ballads she learned as a child. Spiritual renegade that she is, she prefers to call them "magical prayers" and her renditions are so frequently spine- tingling that fans will surely not grudge her the indulgence.
The album title translates as "new old style" or "new a cappella". In fact, all these songs are accompanied, however bare the arrangement, but the star instrument is always that extraordinary voice. With all the shock, horror or tittering that usually accompanies O'Connor's latest career move, the awesome purity and versatility of her singing is often forgotten.
Just as Kate Rusby lends a fresh clarity to old English folk tunes, O'Connor breathes her bewitching vocals over these traditional Irish airs. To cite one example, Molly...