SHAUNA
BURNS
Violet
Red
Rock Music 7007
* *
½

There are many beautiful soprano voices and
Ms. Burns’ is among them. Alas, there are not many clear sopranos and she does not reside in that august company. The instrumental
feel is lush and Burns simply can’t sing through, across, and above the mix
like Loreena McKennitt. The songs are spiritual and mysterious, but you’ll
experience this from the way the arrangements feel rather than the lyrics. (Good luck reading the latter, which
are printed in 2-point cursive.) Like many of Enya’s projects, what we hear are
vocalizations rather than vocals–impressionistic voice that creates soundscapes
evocative of everywhere and nowhere. Violet is a lovely background album that impresses upon first listen, but like much
New Age music, it doesn’t get better when we listen carefully. Don’t get me
wrong; I like Enya and this album, but I have to be in the mood because mood is all they give us. Poetry? The
universal human condition? These may be there, but there are too many layers
and not enough articulation between delivery and reception. And there’s not an
ounce of beat-down-boogie rock, so don't even look for it. Violet
is an album with a lot of shading, but not much color. --Rob Weir
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