Dark Sky Island

Enya

Warner Brothers, 2015

http://enya.com

REVIEW BY: David Bowling

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 12/07/2015

Enya is who she is. If you like one Enya album, you will probably like them all. With that in mind, she has now returned with her first new studio album in seven years titled Dark Sky Island.

Enya’s music and voice are instantly recognizable. Her angelic voice supports music that is otherworldly and would be right at home in the world of Tolkien. Even her song titles reflect her style and sound: The Forge Of The Angels,” “Diamonds On The Water,” “Dark Sky Island,” “The Humming,” and “The Loxian Way” are all added to the Enya lexicon.my_heart_sings_the_harmony_web_ad_alt_250

Individually, the songs here are less distinctive than her past work; however, they form a cohesive whole and the album is best approached as a unit.

Dark Sky Island is basically a three-person project. Enya provides the vocals, writes the music, and except for the bass part on one song, she plays all the instruments here. Nicky Ryan produced the album and Roma Ryan wrote the lyrics and helped with the design.

Enya’s music has always appealed to the emotions more than the mind. It is a reflective experience that just washes you along. Roma Ryan’s lyrics are the perfect musical partner for Enya, and their relationship now extends back decades. She has even written lyrics for Enya in the Loxian language, which she created. That language makes a return on the album.

While much of Enya’s music is layered, “I Could Never Say Goodbye” is sparser and reaches back to her Irish roots, providing a nice counterpoint to what surrounds it. Her vocal prowess is on display in “Echoes In Rain” as it soars higher and higher while telling the story of journeys end. “The Loxian Gates” is an entrance to Enya’s and Roma Ryan’s fantasy world.

Dark Sky Island will appeal to Enya’s huge worldwide fan base. There are no great leaps of faith here, but the moods and textures are well thought out and constructed and should find a nice place in her ever increasing body of work.

Rating: B

User Rating: Not Yet Rated


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