Sinead O'Connor - She Who Dwells

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Music reviews of She Who Dwells

Music Review: An Amazing Exit.
Rating: 5 Stars

BUT, one gets passed that, and into Sinead's final 6 songs one shan't be disappointed. I think of this work as another E.P. These 6 songs carry themselves brilliantly and showcase Sinead's vocal, and musical qualities amazingly.

"Brigidine Diana" About the late Princess Diana is a tender song. It's Sinead doing her own Irish tune. I think the pipes at the end are to give an effect of celebration and rejoice at the memory of Diana.

"Love Is Ours". This is by far my favourite song on the record. It's dark, dangerous, and poetic!! The lyrics are full of mystery and intrigue the way most Sinead fans are used to their Goddess. This IS a Goddess' song!! An amazing potential single if Sinead were to still be doing that. Her vocal ranges hit the highs and the sultry lows. Sonic wise the song is original and falls into that innovative progressive sound Sinead seems to have been experimenting with (Massive Attack/Asian Dub Foundation/Afro-Celt Sound...)

"You Put Your Arms Around Me"- In the tradition of "Thank You For Hearing Me", "The Healing Room" comes in this pop song. I love this song! Again, we are exposed to Sinead's powerful vocals and the route of healing that Sinead has made her signature since 1994 really accentuates itself in this one. A pretty catchy song.

"No Matter How Hard I Try"- This is probably the weakest song on the record. The lyrics are not all that grand, and the music lacks depth. It seems this one was recorded just because, and then left alone. Someone remembered it during the making of this record and it was thrown on.

"Dense Water, Deeper Down"- Sinead in her last days mentioned she would like to record a country record. This is a quasi-country-esque song. Don't let that scare you. This is an amazing love song like I haven't heard in a long time. It completely grabs you. The first time I heard this one, I was walking down the street and I began skipping along. I couldn't wait to learn the lyrics so I could belt it along with her. And belt it she does! This one is a fierce vocals track!!

"Big Bunch Of Junkie Lies"- The return of girl and her guitar. This is a sad tale. The frailty of Sinead's voice against strings and a chunky acoustic guitar make this song a perfect close. It's so beautiful. I imagine Sinead sitting in a hotel room as the sun is setting and a junkie she sings to there. Listen to the song in order to understand.

I did not review the covers for two reasons: Mainly I haven't heard them and I wont be hearing them. I'm a fan of Sinead and Sinead's work not someone else's. The reason I was dranw to Sinead was because she is or was one of rock's greatest singer/songwriters/composers. Both "Universal Mother" and "Gospel Oaks" are testaments of that. Those records were composed and written by Sinead. It's a shame she has been doing nothing but covers and resorting to others to co-write with her for the last four years or so. However, this is a great exit. These songs are brilliant. Thjey carry themselves so well, that I guarantee you'll be addicted for a long time to come. I haven't been able to stop playing this since I got it.There's something for everyone here. Sinead the dangerous, seductive siren. Sinead the nurturing healing mother, and Sinead the blunt and vulnerable. Funky nouveau gipsy type of sounds, to the simple acoustic guitar from "I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got"

Best tracks: "Love Is Ours", "You Put Your Arms Around Me", "Dense Water, Deeper Down", and "Big Bunch Of Junkie Lies". I paid a very, very, high price for these 6 songs, but danm was it ever worth it! Thank you Sinead.

Description of She Who Dwells

She Who Dwells (the full title is long enough to make Fiona Apple gasp for breath) is a two-CD set, but in typical O?Connor fashion it?s oddly framed. Disc one is a collection of 19 rarities and previously unreleased tracks split three very different ways. There are more traditional Irish tunes, her electronic collaborations with Massive Attack and Asian Dub Foundation, and a range of covers that includes songs written or made famous by Aretha Franklin, Gram Parsons, the B-52s, and Abba. (These latter tracks shouldn?t work, but for the best evidence they do, check out her almost Tex-Mex pop version of "Chiquitita.")

Disc two is a more traditional career-ending retrospective; it?s a 13-track recording taken from a late 2002 concert at Vicar Street Theatre in Dublin. About half the songs come from Sean-Nos Nua, with three songs each lifted off I Do Not Want What I Haven?t Got and Universal Mother,. O?Connor is backed by a great band that features Irish music stalwarts Donal Lunny and Sharon Shannon. As good as they are, it?s O?Connor?s voice that stuns throughout, whether singing the Irish blues of "I Am Stretched on Your Grave" or a version of "Nothing Compares to U" that contains both flute and a stately cello solo. One hopes this isn?t the last we hear from O?Connor, but even if it is she?s left us on a pure, high note. --Keith Moerer

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