February 16, 2011
By Staff Reporter
Woven seamlesly into the band’s classic pop sound are echoes of electronica, rock and hip-hop, bouncing nicely off their signature Irish trad interludes.
The Corrs wrote eleven of the twelve tracks on the album, and the songs reflect the changes in their personal lives over the past four years. There were weddings, for Caroline and Sharon; romantic breakups, for Andrea and Jim; superstardom, and the public scrutiny that goes with it, for each of them. Though the album boasts plenty of catchy hooks and chirpy vocals, there is a new maturity evident in the writing, and a sophisticated hand controlling the mixing board.
They score right out of the gate with “Summer Sunshine,” an homage to warm weather frolics and wistful romance. It has the same kind of breezy cheeriness that made their last single, “Breathless,” a major hit on both sides of the Atlantic. “Hideaway” is another catchy, uptempo number featuring a guitar riff that would make The Edge proud. Sharing this mood is “Humdrum,” an irony-laced paen to marital bliss.
The standout track is the slow, seductive ballad “Long Night,” which features some great violin playing by Sharon Corr. The title track, “Borrowed Heaven,” throws in a few surprises, including a guest appearance by the South African group, Ladysmith Black Mambazo.
The lone cover on the album is “Time Enough for Tears,” which was written by the team of Bono, Gavin Friday and Maurice Seezer for Jim Sheridan’s film, “In America.” Andrea, who sang it on the film soundtrack, is in top form here, her delicate vocals underscoring the pensive lyrics.
What will set “Heaven” apart from the other albums in the Corr catalog is its liberal — though not overdone — use of special effects. Mixed in throughout the band’s sparkling instrumentals are snatches of samples, and some ethereal synthesizers and even a few touches of reverb — yes, reverb — from The Corrs.
For longtime fans, the album delivers all of the sunny pop hooks and poignant ballads that they’ve come to expect from the Dundalk quartet. For the uninitiated, “Borrowed Heaven” will serve as a fine introduction to a polished band at its masterful peak.