SINEAD O’CONNOR – HOW ABOUT I BE ME (AND YOU BE YOU)?
It might be hard from the outside to believe that Sinead O’Connor has ever been anyone but herself, but then we all go through periods of questioning. There is no doubt that here, on her ninth studio album, O’Connor has returned to some sort of centre, artistically, as she focuses on what has made her one of the most distinctive voices in pop music. How About I Be Me (And You Be You)? puts the spotlight back on that remarkable voice, a voice that has in the past pinned you to the walls and not so much plucked your heart-strings as reached in and wrenched them forcibly.There are plenty of naked confessional lyrics, oft combined into a love song, as in the pinning for love-to-be on Old Lady – “One day you’ll say ‘That’s my girl’ / The happiest words in the world / Make me laugh like an idiot / Not be so serious”. While The Queen of Denmark lets loose musically and lyrically – “Why don’t you take it out on somebody else / Why don’t you bore the shit out of somebody else”. And while she doesn’t shy away from controversy, VIP dealing with child abuse in the Catholic school system, this is predominantly a classic pop album of the sort Sinead does best.You gotta love that voice.
*** 1/2
