Dolores O’Riordan: Are You Listening?

11:38am Thursday 17th May 2007

(Sequel Records) **

The name rings a bell, but its only when the music kicks in, does it all make sense. O'Riordan was, of course, the lead singer of the Nineties success story The Cranberries.

Once you hear that distinctive voice and trademark vocal key changes, it's like she's never been away, which isn't necessarily a good thing.

Her debut solo album falls short because it sounds exactly like The Cranberries of ten years ago - folk-tinged, melodic rock powered by that crystalline voice - and it's all rather dull and uninspiring.

Her voice may have been O'Riordan's blessing, but halfway through AYL it begins to prove her curse; I was left stretching for the volume control as she grated like fingernails being run down a blackboard.

There are some bright moments, namely Loser, which catches the attention with a razor-sharp hook, and final track, Ecstasy, is a slow burner that shows a gentler side, but it's hardly been worth the wait.