Excellent taste of what O'Connor's been up to recently
06/08/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"After a 9-year absence (the mid-'80s to the early '90s) from recording albums, Hazel O'Connor re-emerged with a new CD in 1993. Gone were the new wave stylings which rocketed her to fame in the early '80s; the post-punk diva had evolved into something of a blues singer, now sounding oddly reminiscent of Marianne Faithfull. Her subsequent releases have continued to explore a wide array of musical genres, most notably traditional Celtic music, which she generally mixes with a contemporary rock sound. "Na Na Na," released prior to the 5 in the Morning album, is that album's first single release. One of the more obvious highlights from the CD, "Na Na Na" is a driving rock song featuring inspirational lyrics relating to personal perseverance in the face of life-altering problems. The two additional tracks, not featured on the album, "Oiche Mhait (Good Night)," which combines traditional Irish sounds with synthesizers and dance beats, and "Lay Down," a hypnotic mid-tempo number, are excellent as well. A good introduction to O'Connor's recent endeavors for those who are familiar only with Breaking Glass."