Holy Mother

Cough! cough! sputter! sputter! The sun may be shining oustide, and the streets maybe (unseasonanably) full of men walking around with their tshirts off, but the last few weeks have seen me suffering with the flu (real flu, not man-flu). So two round of antibiotics and a years supply of Vicks products later, I’m slowly on the mend.

Twenty years after the release of her debut album, Sinead O'Connor is back with new album; Theology.

The press release accompanying the album says; “Theology is an attempt to create a place of peace in a time of war…It is my own personal response to what has taken place and is affecting everyone around the world since and including September 11, 2001. I simply wanted to make a beautiful thing, out of something beautiful, which inspires me."

Theology features eight new songs written, or cowritten, by Sinead, as well as three covers: Curtis Mayfield's soul-searching "We People Who Are Darker Than Blue," an interpretation of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's "I Don't Know How To Love" (from "Jesus Christ Superstar"), and the traditional reggae spiritual "Rivers of Babylon" with new lyrics written by Sinead.

The two disc album features predominantly the same songs in different forms: the minimalist acoustic "Dublin Sessions" disc was produced by traditional Irish musician Steve Cooney (In Tua Nua, The Chieftains, Mary Black), who, along with Sinead, plays guitar on the stripped-down recordings. The second disc, dubbed the "London Sessions," showcases the songs with a full band arrangements and guest artists include reggae bass legend Robbie Shakespeare.

MP3: Sinead O'Connor – Pslam 137 (Rivers OF Babylon) (Dublin Sessions version) (expired)
MP3: Sinead O'Connor – I Dont Know How To Love Him (expired)