Customer Reviews

No Mermaid

5 star:		(56)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I happened to be in a music store recently when I heard the most beautiful song playing over their sound system. As soon as it was over I rushed to the counter and asked who it was, and that was my introduction to Sinead Lohan. I bought the CD just to get that one song ("What Can Never Be") but when I got it home I discovered that I loved the entire album! (How often does THAT happen? ) Sinead has a beautiful voice, sometimes strong and energetic, sometimes soft and tender, with the most adorable Irish accent you could ever hope to hear. The worst song on this CD is better than 95% of the stuff on the radio, and the best ones will be playing in your head and your heart all day long. If you like female vocalists at all, this album will be one of your all-time favorites from the very first time you hear it. Buy it right this minute - you'll be glad you did!

Sinead Lohan's "No Mermaid" cd is an instant classic. The songs have depth and variation, and are held together well with the thread of Lohan's strong, assured voice, excellent lyrics, and interesting, steady harmonies. The songs do sound somewhat similar to each other, and Lohan has a very distinctive voice, so you can always tell a song of hers just by listening for a little while. But since I really like her sound, I don't really find this a detraction.

Three of the songs on the CD, "No Mermaid"(the title track), "Whatever it Takes" and "Diving to Be Deeper" get a lot of airplay on the radio waves, and with good reason. The songs have great lyrics, a clean, strong sound, and make you happy and interested listening to them, without their being too syrupy or cliche. To quote the SNL guys Hans & Frans, her music "pumps you up." I always play it quite loud, and it fills the house well on a nice summer day.

But at the same time, Lohan knows how to carry a slower, mellower tune, with the same degree of shining talent.

Lohan's voice is always powerful, but on a couple of tracks, especially the haunting "What Can Never Be," it is sheer, beautifully lucid and transparent, like colored glass. Mesmerizing.

The songs and words stay in your head long after hearing them, and when the cd spins again, you just might find yourself singing along.

This is also a cd that grows on you, I think, the more you listen to it. Since I like it so much and listen to it often, I sometimes put the cd player on "random" and let the cd speak for itself. I find that when the songs are in a different order, they sound new, in a way. I definetely give this CD two thumbs up.

Plus, if the artist actually takes the time to let you know she hopes you enjoy her music as much as she enjoyed making it (see above) you know you're dealing with a real winner! :)

This is by FAR the best CD I have purchased in the past year. No Mermaid was the first song I heard on the CD when it was first released, and I instantly fell in love with Sinead's mellow, wistful music. And the CD is very complete. There are some catchy, faster moving tracks like No Mermaid, Whatever it Takes..., and Diving to Be Deeper. Then there are slower, more penetrative tracks like Don't I Know, Hot on Your Trail, and Loose Ends. The song What Can Never Be actually made me cry. I love EVERY song on this CD; and there are few CDs I can say that about.

As often happens with with new music, I played this daily for after I first bought it 4, maybe 5 years ago. Gradaually other music and artists received more and more of my attention; "No Mermaid" dropped out of the 'regular' listening rotation and then even off my 'occasional' list. It sat in my collection unlistened to for what now seems an embarrassingly long time. Then, a few weeks ago, I heard someone mention Lohen's name. When I returned home I put the disc in and pressed "play." Simultaneously I had the joy of rediscovering this 5-star gem and regret that I had let it fade into musical oblivion. Somehow the bitter-sweet feeling suited what I was hearing. I now play "No Mermaid" at least daily.

As others have observed, this is an album (can I still say 'album' these days?) that is brimming with A-list tracks. There's not even one weak, "filler" track. Her voice is sublime. Some other reviewers have compared it to Sarah McLachlan's, but I don't hear her in Lohen's voice (although I do hear her in the writing). I would compare Lohen more to Eleanor McEvoy with smaller measures of Beth Orton and Annie Haslam mixed in. The production on "No Mermaid" is superb: tight and so organic you won't notice it unless you *want* to. The pacing is wonderful, speeding up and slowing down so naturally, as if this were simply the way it was *meant* to be.

Buy "No Mermaid" today. Take it home. Play it. You, too, will fall in love with it (and with Sinead Lohen).

I bought this cd because of someone's recommendation on Amazon, so I really didn't know what to expect. For most of my life I've gravitated toward male artists, and lately I've realized that I do love very talented female artists (Jann Arden, Sheryl Crow, Sixpence, Jennifer Knapp). But it's difficult to find them, so I decided to go with Bethany's recommendation. She was right!

At first I didn't know what to think of this sound - modern but folksy with a classic voice. So I played the cd several times while reading. Now I'm hooked. The slow songs are wonderful background music, and the more pop sounding songs are excellent. I wouldn't say that her voice is quite as quality as Sarah McLaughlin, but I enjoy her style a lot more - it's more mellow and thought provoking. I won't pretend to understand all of the lyrics, but overall this is an excellent piece of work.

I was only recently able to re-purchase this album because my other one was lost. As soon as I heard it again I remembered why I was so desperate to get it back. Love her sound. Love the music. Quality of cd is outstanding. Definitely a five star album!

I found this record a "slow burn" -the first couple of times through I was unsure about it & then I found I couldn't get it out of my head. One is tempted from Lohan's name to expect just another "Celtic folk pop" singer, but from the opening track it is clear that Lohan will have none of that. I really don't know where I would classify it. From the defiant title anthem to the heartbreaking "what will never be" she manages to hit all the bases. If you like complex, powerful, musical lyricism , this is a must have!

I count this as one of only 5 albums I've listened to and was totally enthralled from the very first playing. There is NOTHING out of place on No Mermaid. Sinead, you are absolutely wonderful! This effort works on so many levels: the music is great without being overwhelming, the lyrics are some of the best EVER written, and the selection is perfect. I saw you live in Columbia Missouri and you showed you could put an "edge" into the live material. I hope everyone purchases this album--they will not be dissapointed. Songs that won't be heard on the radio but that great are Loose Ends, Disillusioned, and Hot on Your Trail. Sinead runs the gambit of sultry without sounding stereotypical. I just can't stop listening to this album!!!!!

Succinctly, this CD is to the music industry what The Shawshank Redemption is to the film industry - the sleeper of the century.

This is simply the best CD since Lucinda Williams Car Wheels! Listen to it once and you will listen to it 100 times. Awsome voice,lyrics,music. How often can you get all three?