The Corrs’ mother, Jean, died in November 1999 aged only 57. While some of 2000’s “In Blue” (not least the mournful title) addressed their loss, it’s more apparent on fourth studio album “Borrowed Heaven”.
Angels throng the lyrics, heaven lends the name and lost loves are a recurrent theme. “I never through one day you’d be gone,” sings Andrea on “Goodbye”; “No one could explain why you were taken.” These are honest, from-the-heart words but, as ever with the polished pop product that has become The Corrs’ calling card, they are utterly irrelevant.
Like the sisters themselves, Corrs songs are constructed to appear perfect – to hit power chord and key changes at opportune moments, to bring in Sharon’s fiddle skills during lulls. They ‘sound’ well-written without actually being so – the ultimate in pop sophistry. “Borrowed Heaven” will do little to remedy that.
The dewy glow of Kevin Westerberg’s cover shot might reveal the shock news that Sharon’s gone blonde, but otherwise it’s a new set of tracks that follow the same old blueprint. Like the single and opener “Summer Sunshine”, they open with perky/soulful intros from Andrea underpinned with ‘ethnic’ flourishes from Sharon. Behind them, Caroline bashes out rhythms so innocuous you won’t notice them and Jim delivers Gillette ad-style riffage – good-looking muzak.
The appearance of Ladysmith Black Mambazo on the title track is underwhelming, but the Bono-penned, twinkling piano-led “Time Enough For Tears” (taken from the soundtrack of Jim Sheridan’s "In America") offers a compelling moment, utterly at odds with the genetically-modified rest of the record.
Like the lyrics, it suggests a soul beneath the sheen, slap and Photoshoppery, but for now – while they’re still a pretty, priority act for WEA International – you’ll have to settle for the skin-deep and superficial. Shame.
