I became acquainted with the music of the Corrs in an indirect way. I had never heard any songs from this band of Irish siblings until I saw lead singer Andrea Corr in the delightful movie The Boys And Girl From County Clare. I only knew of the Corrs before the film. The movie made me curious about her primary occupation, and soon acquired a copy of the Corrs' second album, Talk On Corners. My curiosity with their music would not end there.

Talk On Corners was released in 1998, some two years after their debut, Forgiven, Not Forgotten. Like their debut, the Corrs offer a very pleasing collection of adult-oriented Celtic pop. On their sophomore effort, the Corrs built on that mix, putting a little more emphasis on the pop. They also collaborated with some writers on other tracks, and even did covers of a couple of songs. Most of the tracks deal with love, or the loss of it. The album begins with "Only When I Sleep," a track that begins with a rock guitar riff, but adds both violin (by Sharon Corr) and tin whistle (by Andrea) in its bridge. Andrea Corr's voice is full of fire and passion about a lover who occupies her thoughts, and especially, her dreams. The harmonies of the Corr sisters are shown to fine effect on songs such as "What Can I Do" and "Intimacy."

Other tracks are given a dance beat, including their cover of the Fleetwood Mac hit, "Dreams." The arrangements on this track vary little from the Fleetwood Mac, save for the dance beat and the inclusion of tin whistle and violin. The Corrs' cover is decent, but the best dance-based track on this CD is the instrumental "Paddy McCarthy," which is a lovely mix of traditional Irish music and a dance beat. The best cover on the album, though, teams the Corrs with the Irish traditionalists, the Chieftains, on a remarkably beautiful take of the Jimi Hendrix song, "Little Wing." Andrea Corr has a perfectly sweet, romantic, and playful voice for this flight of fancy. It is one of the Corrs' most popular songs, and concert versions have been included on two live releases by them.

Save for the covers, the Corrs (Andrea, Caroline, Jim, and Sharon) have some hand in the songwriting. On two songs, the siblings share credit with songwriting veteran Carole Bayer Sager. One is "I Never Loved You Anyway," a song that expresses relief at the end of a relationship. The better collaboration, though, is one of the album's best songs. "Don't Say You Love Me" sounds like a song from the sixties with a gentle horn arrangement. Every note captures the spirit of some of Dionne Warwick's classic recordings of that era (Sager's ex-husband is Burt Bacharach, who had a hand in writing some of Warwick's biggest hits). The string arrangement, though, gives the song an Irish flavoring. The song is about a relationship that needs to go forward or end. "Make it real," sings Corr, "or take it all away." David Foster, who produced Forgiven, Not Forgotten, returns to produce "Don't Say You Love Me" and several other tracks, and gives his production plenty of polish. Oliver Lieber, who also collaborates on some songs, and Jim Corr are among the other producers of the various album tracks. Each highlights a different facet of the band's music.

Talk On Corners has a weak link, and it's "Queen Of Hollywood," whose lyrics include the album's title. It's about someone who cuts ties to family and others who don't understand her goals. The goals, however, also have a downside. The angry tone of the song seems forced, and feels like a young band attempting to do a serious song. It might be more appropriate on an album by someone who specializes in cynicism, such as Don Henley. It's a tune that is simply out of place with the other selections on this album. It's too much drama for an album that focuses on the good and the bad of relationships in a lighter vein. "Queen Of Hollywood," to quote some lyrics from another Corrs song, is "no good for me."

The Corrs did not suffer the proverbial sophomore slump with Talk On Corners. They took their music in a few new directions, with generally favorable results. The Corrs bring an enjoyable mix of adult pop and Irish flavor to their work, and the siblings continue to do that to this day (Home, released in 2006, is their most recent release). If the talk about the Corrs started on corners, they have made it spread beyond there. They combine a little bit old with a little bit new, and create a distinctive, catchy, Irish sound.

Tracks:
1. Only When I Sleep
2. When He's Not Around
3. Dreams
4. What Can I Do
5. I Never Loved You Anyway
6. So Young
7. Don't Say You Love Me
8. Love Gives Love Takes
9. Hopelessly Addicted
10. Paddy McCarthy
11. Intimacy
12. Queen Of Hollywood
13. No Good For Me
14. Little Wing

Related review: The Boys & Girl From County Clare

Recommended: Yes

Great Music to Play While: Listening