Day Without Rain, A - Enya > Reviews > Certainly Not Her Best

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Lacking inspiration
Lyrics	Thought-provoking
Quality and consistency of tracks	Mixed
How does it compare to the artist's other releases	Average
Value for Money

Advantages:	If you hadn't heard her before, you would enjoy her soothing vocals and relaxing tunes .  Heals the heart, cultivates the soul .
Disadvantages:	For those who know Enya well enough, the album can be a disappointment as she has offered nothing new .  Her faster tunes are missing the magic of Orinoco Flow and Anywhere Is .

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

There are divided opinions on RAIN. As a follower of Enya since 1989, thought I could shed some understanding to these polarised commentary.

I used to admire Enya for her talents; her voice, her unique instrumentation, her powerful instrumentals. I mean, who could forget the melancholic piano in Watermark, or her outstanding vocals in poignant tunes such as How Can I Keep From Singing and Marble Halls in the album Shepherd Moons? Those interested in New Age music should find Pax Deorum in The Memory of Trees a treasure as well.

Unfortunately, with ever higher expectations (of the listeners) on etheral tunes and romantic lyrics, Enya (as the self-professed perfectionist) somewhat falls short. Before RAIN, there was Paint The Sky With Stars and A Box of Dreams (CD Box set). We were treated to the best of her works, waiting for better to come, but RAIN turned out otherwise.

Her first single was Only Time (Track 3 in album), a slow piece that was interpreted with the change of seasons in the MTV. Sadly there wasn't much of a showcase of vocal prowess; rather, we hear an effusion of sentiments. Further, the beautiful chorus, after several repetitions in the song itself, loses its touch; much like how Celine Dion's My Heart Will Go On lost its gloss after excessive exposure.

It is not common practise for Enya to release a slow track as the first single. If you recall, she used Anywhere is for The Memory of Trees. Her faster tunes such as Orinoco Flow and Far and Away are invariably more popular amongst listeners, and I was quite surprised Only Time was used for RAIN.

Now, on the point of faster tunes. Because of its better acceptance, listeners pay more attention to them. If they're really into her music, they would, as I had, realise that she is starting to over-emphasise background music rather that lyrical beauty. Anywhere Is shone in the clever use of poetic lines that fit seamlessly with the catchy tune. From there, we have Only If. However,it is so heavy on the music, and the chorus - repeated umpteem times as in Only Time - spoilt everything.

The second track of RAIN, Wild Child (Track 2), suffered the same problem. Though the music was acceptable, and the engineered voice sounded soothing, imagine how it would feel to hear the 9-lined chorus 7 times in 3min 48sec.

The other english tracks were good, and lyrics were admirable. Flora's Secret (Track 6) and Pilgrim (Track 9) are fine examples.

As for non-english ones, Tempus Vernum (Track 4) was quite appalling. If you've heard the haunting but inspirational Pax Deorum from the Memory of Trees, you may start to think if Tempus Vernum is a rushed version 2.0.

Somehow, Enya's lost her magic in RAIN. We hear less of impressive vocals (Pilgrim is one of the few exceptions) and inspiring instrumentals (personally I cannot grasp her understanding to The First of Autumn/Track 11: maybe someone can enlighten me through comments).

Nonetheless, RAIN - overall - is a good album if you hadn't listened to her before, because her refreshing style will appeal to your senses. However, if you've heard her before, you would think she could have done better. This is exactly why some people get really critical about RAIN, whilst some find it otherwise.