In Blue

The Corrs

Lava / Atlantic Records, 2000

http://www.thecorrswebsite.com

REVIEW BY: Alfredo Narvaez

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 11/11/2000

I hate doing this. I remember a couple of years ago, when a friend introduced me to an Irish rock band named The Corrs. Made up of three hottie sisters and their brother, they blended traditional Celtic sounds with pop hooks to create a tasty blend of pop. At the time, most were not aware of them, but they soon became. Tours with the likes of Celine Dion and years of concerts and albums have made the band a pop up-and-comer. So I hate clipping some of their wings this soon.

You see, their latest album, In Blue, seems to be nothing more than a rehash of their old music - albeit with less Irish influence. I don't know whether they are tired due to their work schedule or if they have stopped trying, but the Sisters and Brother Corr's latest album is the weakest they've released so far.

What makes it worse is that they lead off with the strongest song in this album, "Breathless." One of three songs they collaborated with Robert John "Mutt" Lange (AKA Mr. Twain), this is an example of what The Corrs do best. It features the harmony of the Corr sisters at vocals, strong blend of guitar and violin and a lovely rhythm that brings it all together. If the album could maintain this tempo or if it was peppered with more songs of this quality, it would have been a step forward. Alas, that is not to be.my_heart_sings_the_harmony_web_ad_alt_250

OK, now let me say that there are a few other good songs here. Both of the Corrs' other colaborations with "Mutt" Lange work great. "All The Love In The World" is a soft ballad, while "Irresistible" is an upbeat, up-tempo slice of pop. Add to them the tender "One Night," the upbeat "No More Cry" and the soft "Rain." And then there's the instrumental "Rebel Heart," which is very airy and open. This album-closing track is the only song that sounds truly imbedded in their Celt-oriented sounds.

However, the problem is that the band seems to sit on its laurels and releases a good number of average and standard pop fares. They're not bad per se. Let me restate that: there is no BAD song here. So, then what's the problem? These songs seem to miss the final step that turns average songs into great songs.

All of the songs here can be split into one of two groups. The first is the soft ballad about love and love lost. Here you pile "Somebody For Someone," "All In A Day" and "Hurt Before." This is the kind of stuff that this band already perfected in songs like "Runaway." The second pile of songs is the more up-tempo straight pop of songs like "Give Me A Reason," "Say," "At Your Side" and "Give It All Up." Again, this band has already given us better versions in this genre with songs like "Heaven Knows" and "Only When I Sleep." This tends to put these new songs against the eight-ball. It's not that they're bad, but that they fail to register above the level of nice.

Does that mean that hardcore fans of this Irish pop-group should not go out and buy it? Of course not. Even new fans will be pleased with this album. It's just that when you compare In Blue to their other releases, there seems to be no growth; no advances in their musical style. It's The Corrs, straigthforward and simple, but there's no way to tell whether these are the Corrs of 1995 or 2000. Whether they need a simple kick in their beautiful booties or a change in how they write music is unknown, but they do need to evolve.

At the end, In Blue is a good pop album. While that will keep the fans happy, it is not necesarily the best they could release. It's my hope that, by the time we hear new music from them, the Corrs have managed to harness their Celtic sounds, pop hooks and harmonious vocals and managed to craft pop songs that refuse to leave your head - after all, that is the ultimate test of any pop song.

Rating: C+

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© 2000 Alfredo Narvaez and The Daily Vault. All rights reserved. Review or any portion may not be reproduced without written permission. Cover art is the intellectual property of Lava / Atlantic Records, and is used for informational purposes only.