For a brief period in 1997/98, The Corrs were one of my favourite bands (probably helped by that time in Birmingham when Caroline Corr blew me a kiss). It helped that I'd "discovered" them before they got really huge, around the time of their debut album, but of course that also meant that even as Talk On Corners was propelling them to worldwide success I was beginning to get bored of them (and the lamentable In Blue killed me off).
The first question that springs to mind is that in 2007 do we really need to hear any more from The Corrs, never mind a solo album from Andrea? Perhaps not but whilst it's clear from only the most cursory of glances that this is a far from essential project, it is considerably better than the three previous Corrs albums which has to count for something does it not?
At times, such as Anybody There, Hello Boys or Champagne Through A Straw you find yourself impressed. They are catchy numbers and whilst they may not be anything exceptionally new would you, for instance, have ever thought you'd heard Andrea Corr attempting to ape Goldfrapp (Hello Boys) or incorporating a catchy latin rhythm to great effect (Champagne...)?
The problem is that for most of the rest of the album, the effect is less pleasing. Rather than really going for it, Corr and producer Nelee Hooper have gone so far and then receded back to what you would expect to hear. So whilst some of the album is good, there's more of it that's distinctly mediocre. In a lot of ways its better than I thought it had any right to be, but also not as good as it's best tracks suggest it might have been.
One thing I can't decide on mind you is the merits of the Squeeze cover. Genius reworking or pointless novelty? Hmm...
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