The Independent
June 12

SINEAD O'CONNOR

Faith and Courage

(Atlantic)

On her first album since 1994, O'Connor tells us more
than we need to know about her family and her
relationships. She hops between paganism,
rastafarianism and Catholicism. And, on "Kyrie
Eleison" she whispers, "Here comes the little Irish
vampire slayer". The penny-whistling may be
relentless, but no one's going to mistake her for the
Corrs. On the other hand, this is O'Connor's most
radio-friendly album. The music is a post-trip-hop
update of soft rock, polished by a stellar cast of
producers and co-writers, including Dave Stewart,
Brian Eno and Wyclef Jean. Expect several hit singles,
but don't expect "Kyrie Eleison" to be among them.
NICHOLAS BARBER