Andrea Corr Album: “Ten Feet High”

As a longtime Corrs fan I wasn't sure what to expect but Andrea has showed a great deal of courage by striking out on her own. The music is different from the "Corrs sound", so you need to approach it with a open mind & you'll find that it really grows on you. I am impressed by the different types of songs that are on the cd- uptempo, ballads, techno, etc. Like I said earlier, Andrea took a chance & it paid off big-time!

When Sting left the Police, the only resemblance that solo work shared with his former band was the vocalist. Songwriting? Different. Arrangements? Different. Performance? Different. But was it bad? Should Sting have been chastised for producing an album unlike those he made with his bandmates? Luckily, he wasn't. We ended up with some early career triumphs like "Russians," "Fortress," and "We'll be Together..." None of which had a hint of reggae influence from his former band.

Same can be said of other solo artists formerly of big bands: Nicks, Bjork, Osbourne... the list goes on and on. The path for success as a solo artist REQUIRES experimentation and deviation from the original band. Without it, you're just a stripped down part of a bigger whole (Scott Stapp, anyone?).

Yet strangely, Ms. Corr's album isn't allowed to live up to it's own lofty ambitions. If she had released an album of watered-down Corrs songs or more trad-irish music, sure it would have appeased the hard-core fan base, but it would have also been dull - for both the song writer, and potentially the listener.

Instead Andrea experiments with a huge variety of styles here. Some are more successful than others, but this album has much more depth and melodic character than some other reviewers fail to recognize. In fact, I challenge anyone to show me a pop album with more variety of style. There's no way anyone can be bored listening to this album. It's one of few that I can listen to start-to-finish without hitting track-forward (and that includes most of the Corrs albums). "Shame on You," "Hello Boys," and "Ten Feet High," may not be chock-full of violin or tin whistle, but on their basic musical framework hangs some very memorable, distinct, and fun melodies.

I'm looking forward to Andrea's next album, and I hope she achieves enough mainstream success with this one to set her apart from her "other" band. There's enough room in this world for a musically adventurous Andrea.

Andrea Corr's debut solo effort is an enchanting success. What makes this collection work is that although she has crafted songs that have their own identities and personalities they all work cohesively together. I have listened to the disc from start to finish and every time it is a complete and satisfying experience.

She opens the disc with "Hello Boys" a saucy and confident electro ditty that is a kick in the pants and lets you know at once that Andrea Corr isn't afraid to do her own thing. It's not The Corrs and it isn't supposed to be. What follows are 10 other tracks that explore the human condition in a way that feels very much like a journey.

"Anybody There's" military beat, signifying routine, works perfectly with the lyrical action in the song. "Shame on You" is a commentary that smartly pairs the sentiment with a confident dance beat--it's not a sleepy, preachy song but a strong point of view augmented by an equally strong beat. "I Do," with its music box sound accurately sums up just what love as an ideal sounds like. It's a perfectly crafted song.

The title track is a true gem. The instrumentation of the music truly takes flight. The wistful piano and the melancholic rhythm gels so well with the lyrics of a love that can't be idealized anymore. What follows is the cheeky and fun "Champagne From a Straw." It almost has a mambo-like rhythm which again completely illustrates the world she is creating with the lyrics about the frivolity of celebrity. She uses horns as the song bounces around like an oblivious starlet prancing through her hollow world.

"24 Hours" is the most straightforward on the album. It's a dance song that works because it's simple and wears its beat on its sleeve.

"This is What it's All About" is a beautiful song that lingers slowly with nothing more than an acoustic guitar and Andrea's sweet, sultry voice. You feel what she is talking about in the song because the music so perfectly fits the song.

"Take Me I'm Yours" is the only cover on the album and it fits right in with the other original songs It's a sexy, electronic groove that makes you want to move.

"Stupidest Girl in the World" is my favorite track. Great transcendent music that hits right at the core. It has a terrific soulful bridge and makes tremendous use of the piano to close out the song.

The album closes with "Ideal World" which is an ideal choice. It's a simple rumination on life, expectation and dreams and Andrea's vocals never betray the truth and sentiment of the song.

The theme here is how well Corr matches her well sung lyrics with music that so effectively captures their meaning. That is something to be applauded because so much nowadays in popular music is just the same bland beats with trite lyrics. This album doesn't sound like everything else out there. Andrea Corr and her producer Nellee Hooper seem to use all the soundscapes at their disposal to create a rich, diverse yet totally cohesive album that truly does soar ten feet high.

I think her debut album is awesome. It's nice she broke from what was expected with a vengance. Each song is like a little story and it makes the whole album just fit together. I think it is a wonderful album and each song is great-You will want to listen to over and over again.

Andrea Corr was the lead vocalist of the Irish family quartet, The Corrs, and "Ten feet high" is her solo debut.

Produced by Nelle Hooper (Garbage, Björk, Madonna, U2, Soul II Soul), and executive produced by Bono (both of whom are the reason I gave it a listen, and eventually got it), it comprises a few Corrs style pop/folk songs, but mainly steers Andrea in an electro pop direction, a welcome change as I feel the Corrs sound had gotten rather tired.

Opening the disc are two upbeat pop songs; the marching feel of "Have a nice day", and the piano sprinkled "Anybody there".

Lead off single "Shame on you (to keep my love from me)" is available in two versions; a more atmospheric, stripped down version, and a dance edit which closes the disc. The lyrics tell the tale of a lover missing his/her partner who has gone off to war.

Staying on the upbeat side of things are "24 hours", and the excellent throbbing club song "Take me I'm yours" with buzzing and swirling synths, it's a cover of a Squeeze song and is one of my favourites.

Standouts however are the downtempo songs; the lullaby-like "I do" (complete with tinkling bells), "Ten feet high", "Champagne from a straw" (nice choppy feel with a great sax break), the delicate acoustic/piano ballad "This is what it's all about" (another favourite of mine), "Stupidest girl in the world" (nice piano set to hip hop beats), and the wistful folk feel of "Ideal world" with lyrics looking at different life situations - family, loneliness, low self esteem.

It does take a few spins to grow on you but a nice debut from Andrea Corr.