Not unlike U2, The Corrs are subjected to a good deal of scorn in their native country. Is it the fact that they’ve sold 40 million albums of cod Celtic pop as better Irish acts founder in commercial oblivion? Is it the perception that they’re peddling a rather prettified, outdated vision of Ireland?
Well either way, the Dundalk siblings have reformed after a decade’s break during which some of them pursued solo careers and raised families, and at least one band member took an urgent interest in extraterrestrial life, the Illuminati, and the glaringly obvious fact that 911 was an inside job.
Like Adele's new album, White Light serves up more of the same as before but unlike Adele’s new album, more of the same with The Corrs is a fragrant, pastel-tinted muzak with a light trad dusting. Sadly, it’s an approach which has all but blotted out the band's original charm as a trad/soft rock hybrid with angelic voices and a keen pop sensibility.
The production here doesn’t help. White Light sounds compressed and pro-tooled to an inch of its own personality. On opening track, I Do What I Like, Andrea Corr sings a strong melody but is let down by studio-based blandness. Unconditional introduces an interesting chord change that ups the temperature from lukewarm to low simmer and some of the melodies here are very pretty indeed.
Strange Romance is a fine heartbreak song with one of Andrea’s better vocal performances and the Brooklyn referencing Ellis Island has some fine Wilson Phillips style harmonising. Harmony also delves into Irish history books and amps up the fife and drum like a toned down version of Simple Minds’ egregious Belfast Child.
The enjoyable jaunty and pure Gerry’s Reel, the band’s tribute to their late father, Gerry, is one of the best things here and Kiss of Life has spark but what White Light really lacks is welly, spirit, and killer tunes. It’s insipid, it’s thin and the breathy vocal and synth wash begins to sound like the swirly soundtrack to a Cecelia Ahern mini-series made for German TV. It’s almost as if The Corrs were afraid to break free and live it up with these new songs.
However, the FM friendly AOR of White Light (there is very little white heat here) is a market-calibrated success. Fans will rejoice and those detractors will watch in wonder as The Corrs sashay to the top of global charts and sell out their gigs in Belfast and Dublin in the New Year.
Alan Corr (no relation)
