Solo Andrea Corr Needs No Siblings

By Mike Farragher

REMEMBER when Janet Jackson danced out from under her famous family’s shadow and released her first solo CD two decades ago? The press made much out of the fact that she was on her own, in control, and exploring the steamy sides of her personality that were in sharp contrast to her clean little sister image.

Andrea Corr doesn’t need such an introduction for her first solo CD, Ten Feet High. Though she was the youngest member of the Corrs, the Dundalk, Co. Louth native never milked the kid sister angle.

Her subtle sexuality was a key ingredient to the Corrs’ look, sound, and feel. If the pouty lips and sultry eye makeup weren’t enough, she had that humid vocal that left you, in the words of their biggest hit, “Breathless.”

In fact, the sometimes pedestrian traditional garnishes and sterile production on some of the Corrs albums sometimes hindered the sensual possibilities of Corr. On Ten Feet High, that steamed allure comes roaring out of the speakers with “Hello Boys,” the first track.

“Hello boys I know you’re watching me/and I think that I like it/I’m so tired I can barely see/come see where my light is/now I don’t want conversation/it gets in the way/just use your intuition, I came here to play,” she coos over an electronic strutting melody that is desperately searching for a stripper’s pole.

Corr enlists Bono and his pal Gavin Friday of the Virgin Prunes to supervise the construction of the restless electronica that pulses behind her. The trio clearly found their inner Depeche Mode in the process.

The sound strikes the pitch perfect balance of the cool detachment and thawing that is held in the promise of well-made electronic soundscapes. Their ear for sound is impeccable, creating perfect moods for Corr’s melodies.

“Sipping Champagne from a Straw” has a hollow, cheesy Latin samba vibe that works perfectly as Corr tells the story of a spoiled, hollow, and cheesy rich girl and her tummy tuck. “I Do” is a delicate, beautiful melody constructed from a toy piano that is the perfect back drop for Corr’s dreamy lullaby prose.

There’s not a traditional instrument in her bag of tricks, which may disappoint some fans of her band. For those willing to listen with an open ear, however, Ten Feet High is full of satisfying sounds that are sure to tickle your fancy.

The last Corrs studio CD of original songs, Borrowed Heaven, tackled more secure subject perseverance in the face of loss (inspired by the death of the family’s matriarch). Ten Feet High continues down that sophisticated path.

“Ideal World” is a string of vignettes that narrates the stories of people living unfulfilled lives. “Johnny signs in his share of autographs of the all the people he’s made laugh/and he walks home to an empty flat/late night TV, Vicodin/ he can’t forget what he had before/in an ideal world, she’d think I’m still funny/she’d be waiting in bed for me,” she sings over a deceptively sweet acoustic guitar strum.

Though Ten Feet High is a showcase for Corr’s strong songwriting ability, the highlight of the disc is “Take Me, I’m Yours,” the Squeeze chestnut. The sinister guitar riffs of the melody are buried in fuzz as Corr phones in a jaded, processed vocal.

“Amusing belly dancers distract me from my wine/across Tibetan mountains/the memories are mine,” she sings in the lowest register she can muster. It’s pure pop perfection.

In recent years, her band has been put on hold as her sisters and brother settle into domesticity with new families. This leaves Andrea to her own devices, prowling the discotheque by herself, with one ear soaking in the modern club beats while one eye scans the beautiful bodies for inspiration.

She should leave the siblings home more often, as this first solo CD is a triumph. It’s gratifying to find a pop priestess that can steam the windows of the nightclub with the best of them, but unlike other starlets, she hops into the limo at the end of the night with head up. Ten Feet High in the knowledge that her artistry, dignity and undergarments are intact.

ARTICLE SOURCE: http://www.irishabroad.com/news/irish-voice/entertainment/Articles/Solo-Andrea-Needs051207.aspx