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The return in 2012 with How About I Be Me (And You Be You)? was remarkable: there were very beautiful tracks like "Take Off Your Shoes" or the cover of "Queen of Denmark", then "fun" tracks like "4th And Vine" and "Old Lady" and finally rock tracks in typical O'Connor style which, even if perhaps a bit similar to each other, are always pleasant ("Reason With Me" "Back Where You Belong").
Personally, when it comes to artists who navigate between lively rock pieces and melancholic (or happy, yet still) ballads, I tend to avoid the latter unless I am in a particularly inclined mood.
With this brief disclaimer, I can say that the opening track "How About I Be Me" (certainly recovered from some archive because its, in my opinion embarrassing, version leaked back in 2011) made me fear the worst and the subsequent "Dense Water Deeper Down" with its pop rock gave no indication whatsoever that further down the track list there would be a couple of the most beautiful O'Connor songs ever.
The situation definitely improves during "Kisses Like Mine", "Your Green Jacket" and "The Vishnu Room" even though the album truly takes off at track number six with "The Voice of My Doctor" which gives the album a rock turn and a considerable energy boost.
But it is with "Harbour" that the highest level of musical quality is reached, not only due to the constant crescendo running through it and the hard and harsh backing vocals, but also for the marked songwriting ability; this album represents something new for Sinéad O'Connor precisely because it is approached from various perspectives and, for the first time in her career, truly focuses on storytelling.
From here on, the album smoothly maintains good levels with an experimental "James Brown", a beautiful and enigmatic "8 Good Reasons" (the music video of which has been available for a few days) up to the single that preceded the album "Take Me To Church".
In "Take Me To Church" lies somewhat of the key to understanding this concept album dedicated to love (which may slightly reconsider even the initial tracks), it is also a song with sustained and well-balanced rhythms, except perhaps for the ending which seems cut short too early.
Through "Where Have You Been?" we arrive at "Streetcars" which is one of the true gems of the album as well as the closing track (although among the three additional tracks in the Deluxe Edition, "How Nice a Woman Can Be" is notable).
In conclusion, if the first part leaves a bit to be desired, the second admirably redeems the fate of the album which, at times, reveals itself to be better than its predecessor due to its variety in the structure of the tracks. A first listen certainly isn't enough to understand the construction of this concept album, which after careful observation appears more cohesive than it seems.
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Other reviews
By flood
Fire On Babylon: a dark, magmatic pulse, a very elaborate base on which O'Connor, with a voice full of rage and expressive power never reached before, confides about the abuse suffered during childhood.
Universal Mother is probably her most mature and profound album, both in terms of lyrics and expressive ability, certainly not the most immediate but the unjustly forgotten one.
By Luigi_96
This album set itself apart from the others, showing an inner evolution of the singer, her stances on various topics, and some moments from her life.
Essentially, a good album, hampered by its accusations against the church that, years down the line, proved to be anything but castles in the air.
