Ten Feet High

The success and popularity of Irish group The Corrs is certainly impressive, with each one of their albums selling about five million copies. Then in 2005, after almost two decades on the album-tour-album treadmill, came the inevitable sabbatical. So Andrea, at the age of 32 and after 17 years with the group, headed for a solo career.

'Ten Feet High' is her first album and if, as her record company’s smoke and mirrors bumpf is to be believed, she really did spend all the time between then and now on the writing and making of this album, then perhaps she should consider an alternative career path for it is a singularly boring production.

Even Nellee Hooper’s magic producer’s wand is not going to rescue this Miss Corr from what seems to be a career doomed to mediocre oblivion.

Her voice is reminiscent of a whingeing teenager who goes on and on in the same monotonous tone until parents flee or give in, just to stop the irritating noise.

Really, she should have stayed with siblings Sharon, Caroline and Jim for without them she is lost.

Her voice really doesn’t have the strength, character or versatility to go it alone. Her vocals are sweet, but the syrup becomes cloying by the third song. From then on it’s just plain irritating.

She tends to drone on along some lone lyrical path with strange stories which are all rather lifeless and meaningless to anybody other than herself. As she says: “To me music has always been more about the song than the singing,” she says. “I love story-based songs, songs by people like Neil Young and Simon & Garfunkel that transport you to all kinds of different places.”

Well she got that one right, except that she is nowhere near the league of Young, Simon or Garfunkel, nor will she ever be. Not with her voice and her fluttery, whimsical style.

And pardon me if I’m wrong, but people who buy albums do so because they love music. If they wanted stories they'd buy a book of fairy tales.

Even the kids aren’t fooled by her riding on the back of the Corrs fame and a number of junior pop writers and blog authors have pooh-poohed this album.

I suspect she realises 'Ten Feet High' isn't going to be her golden highway to stardom because she said in a recent interview: "This isn't necessarily about showing the world the real me. It's nothing that contrived. No, this is just an album where I've had fun and adventure; I'm thrilled with the results. Even if nothing happens with it, I'll go to my grave happy I've done it."

It's unlikely many other people will share that happiness.

A disappointing solo debut, to say the least.