Shepherd Moons

The success of her first international hit, Watermark, confirmed Enya as less a singer or songwriter than a sonic architect: working with producer Nicky Ryan and his wife, lyricist Roma Ryan, the classically trained pianist built vaulting cathedrals of sound, framed by luminous piano, shimmering synthesizer orchestrations, and, above all, the seemingly infinite layers of vocal harmonies she applied to every song. The deeply romantic Celtic pop on its 1991 successor, Shepherd Moons, sustains the same spectrum of hushed reverie and surging, rhapsodic releases, as well as its mix of ballads, floating midtempo pieces, and forays into Celtic and Latin-- and it's every bit as seductive. The terminally hip will sneer, but it's no accident that "Caribbean Blue", the best known song here, managed to sneak onto modern rock, top 40, and adult-oriented radio playlists. --Sam Sutherland

The success of her first international hit, Watermark, confirmed Enya as less a singer or songwriter than a sonic architect: working with producer Nicky Ryan and his wife, lyricist Roma Ryan, the classically-trained pianist built vaulting cathedrals of sound, framed by luminous piano, shimmering synthesizer orchestrations, and, above all, the seemingly infinite layers of vocal harmonies she plied on every song. The deeply romantic Celtic pop on its 1991 successor, Shepherd Moons, sustains the same spectrum of hushed reverie and surging, rhapsodic releases, as well as its mix of ballads, floating midtempo pieces, and forays into Celtic and Latin--and it's every bit as seductive. The terminally hip will sneer, but it's no accident that "Caribbean Blue," the best known song here, managed to sneak onto modern rock, top 40, "adult alternative" and public radio playlists. --Sam Sutherland

Le succès de son premier hit international, Watermark, confirma dans son travail non pas tant de chanteuse ou de compositrice, mais d'architecte des sons. Avec l'aide du producteur Nicky Ryan et de sa femme Roma Ryan, qui écrit les paroles, la pianiste de formation classique construit de véritables cathédrales de sons, encadrées par un piano lumineux, des orchestrations magnifiques de synthétiseur, et, plus que tout, les fines couches d'harmonies vocales qu'elle place dans chaque chanson. La pop celtique très romantique de l'album suivant de 1991, Shepherd Moons, contient le même spectre de rêverie murmurée et de poussées intenses, ainsi qu'un mélange de ballades, de titres au rythme plus soutenu. Enya s'aventure en celtique et en latin, en étant aussi séduisante. Les puristes ricaneront, mais ce n'est pas un hasard si "Caribbean Blue", la chanson la plus célèbre de l'album, a fait carrière dans les charts rock, alternatif et sur les playlists des radios. --Sam Sutherland

ENYA Shepherd Moons (Deleted 1991 German 12-track CD album includes the tracks Caribbean Blue and Book Of Days complete with lyric booklet picture sleeve!)