Enya-"Amarantine" Review

 "Amarantine" means everlasting, which this album, sadly, is not. And it's quite unusual that her fourth album "A Day Without Rain" lasted a mere 37 minutes, yet it was enough to hold over Enya's eager fans for 5 years until the release of "Amarantine" in 2005. This album is much longer than its predecessor, but also not as memorable. Also, it will not hold you over for another 5 years for new material. So it's contradicting to name an album everlasting, when its content is not a very memorable collection of tracks. But some things to also keep in mind:

1) Her vocals. True, they've always been heavenly and have captivated us from day one, but her full utilization of them here is what sets this album apart from the rest, she's finally mastered a consistent, sweet sound that is devoid of any grit or any other vocal hindrance, just pure angelic voice from the woman who invented the term "Golden Pipes"
2) The Music. Once again, her music has always been a strong aspect of her career and what ultimately leads people to buy her albums. But what she has done with this album is that she's also learned to fully use her resources and produce songs that don't just set a lovely mood, but rather soothing songs that have real substance. So she's also mastered singing insubstantially, but not making the music itself silly or fluffy.
3) The Lyrics. When you listen to Enya, you don't really hear the words she sings, just the tone of her voice and the amazing production of Nicky Ryan. She has changed that with this album by making the lyrics the forefront of her songs and not just filler to give the song a purpose. So she's also mastered the perfect balance between unearthly sound and sentimental lyrics.

All of these mentioned points are what save "Amarantine" from the possible tragedy it could've become. Yeah you won't remember too much of what you heard, but in the moment you are listening to this collection, you won't be disappointed. Highlights of this album include the title track "Amarantine", my track pick "It's In The Rain", and "The River Sings", one of three tracks in which Roma Ryan's fabricated language "Loxian" is used. Enya hones all of her abilities here, even if you forget what you've been listening too after a while, she's done a nice job in leaving you wanting more, to wait until she released yet another album with more songs straight from the hands of God himself. 

 

Recommended Tracks in Bold:

1. Less Than A Pearl        2. Amarantine       3. It's In The Rain

4. If I Could Be Where You Are                      5. The River Sings

6. Long, Long Journey  7. Sumerigusa          8. Someone Said Goodbye

9. A Moment Lost           10. Drifting             11. Amid the Falling Snow

12. Water Shows the Hidden Heart