CD Review of No Baggage by Dolores O’Riordan
Dolores O’Riordan: No Baggage
Recommended if you like
Shaun Colvin, PJ Harvey,
Sarah McLachlan
Label
Zoe/Rounder
Dolores O’Riordan:
No Baggage

Reviewed by Lee Zimmerman

D
olores O’Riordan would probably be the first to admit that she’s not a purist. While her band, the Cranberries, made tentative nods towards folk, thanks in large part to O’Riordan’s unique vocal phrasing and seemingly natural affinity for Irish song form, the group was far more mainstream and less traditional than they initially appeared. Consequently, the band had a successful reign at the top of their charts, especially early on. However, when they announced their split in 2002, they quickly faded from the public consciousness, leaving O’Riordan to founder in her attempt to recoup her career. Aside from a one-off collaboration with the Italian singing star Zucchero, she disappeared for nearly five years – a sure way to squander momentum if ever there was one. When she reappeared in 2007 with her solo debut, Are You Listening?, she had good reason to pose the question in the title.

In truth, O’Riordan’s absence was easily explained by the fact that she had some health issues to contend with. But being that Are You Listening? utilized an easy listening template that veered away from the Cranberries’ rowdier moments, it also offered evidence that she was freely making some commercial concessions. Unfortunately, it went too far; the glossy arrangements and radio-ready material overshadowed her distinctive style and as a result, the album barely made a blip as far as the Cranberries’ crowd was concerned.

While that would seem to up the ante for the follow-up, No Baggage makes only a half-hearted attempt to raise the stakes. Its title suggests she’s ready to move forward unencumbered, but that’s not necessarily the case. The lush arrangements and MOR make-up continue to permeate her material, and while this is a competent effort, she clearly has a way to go to reassert her artistry. The propulsive drive of "Switch off the Moment," "Skeleton" and "The Journey" offers some evidence she’s maintaining her edge, but a pessimistic perspective is also inescapable. "It’s you, and you make me feel bad," she insists on "It’s You," before intoning, "Be careful what you’re wishing for / Now that you’ve opened up that door," two songs later on "Be Careful."

That said, the final songs of the set find O’Riordan in a mellower mood, particularly "Lunatic," a lovely piano ballad, and "Tranquilizer," the album’s most compelling track, and, not surprisingly, the one that comes closest to the Cranberries in terms of its assurance and sincerity.

It offers the impression that once O’Riordan gets her bearings, her solo career will find her flourishing once more.

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