Enya Shepherd Moons CD

Live Recording

Personnel includes: Enya (vocals, percussion); Liam O'Flionn (uillean pipes); Roy Jewitt (clarinet); Steve Sidwell (cornet); Andy Duncan (percussion).
Calling Shepherd Moons a near carbon copy of Watermark puts it quite mildly. Like Watermark, Shepherd Moons opens with the title track, a calm instrumental, has another brief instrumental titled after a Dora Saint book smack in the middle ("No Holly for Miss Quinn"), and concludes with a number incorporating a striking uilleann pipes solo, "Smaointe...." In general, Enya's own musical style and work remains the same, again assisted on production by Nicky Ryan and with lyrics by Roma Ryan. Shepherd Moons does have one key factor that's also carried over from Watermark -- it's quite good listening. Though the total continuity means that those who enjoy her work will again be pleased and those who dislike it won't change their minds, in terms of finding her own vision and sticking with it, Enya has increasingly polished and refined her work to a strong, elegant degree. "Caribbean Blue," the lead single, avoids repeating the successful formula of "Orinoco Flow" by means of its waltz time -- a subtle enough change, but one that colors and drives the overall composition and performance, the closest Enya might ever get to a dance number. Some songs call to mind traditional Irish music even more strongly than much of her earlier work, while two other tracks are haunting rearrangements of old, traditional numbers. With her trademark understated drama in full flow many other places, especially on the wonderful "Book of Days" (replaced on later pressings with an English language version done for the film Far and Away), Enya shows herself to still have it, to grand effect. ~ Ned Raggett
"Heavenly" is the best way to describe Enya's ethereal voice. The Irish new age singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist is a formidable talent with a repertoire filled with gentle nuances and subtle turns. Peaceful and mesmerizing, Enya's expressive arrangements float and flow alongside musical imagery, lyrical poetry, and stunning vocals which are unrivaled, yet often copied. Based on Irish folk-roots, Enya's music is timeless and seamless, without boundaries or limits. Her exquisite vocals sweep through interwoven overdubs and multi-textured instrumentation warmly gilded by airy synthesized strings and keyboards.
Her otherworldly voice is trance-like in such songs as the tranquil "Shepherd Moons," "Angeles," "Evacuee," and "Marble Halls." Accessibly lilting, awash in synth strings, "Caribbean Blue" is this album's answer to "Orinoco Flow," Enya's gigantic worldwide pop hit. The song, as all the others, transports the listener to another place. "How Can I Keep Singing?" is Irish folk music at its best. "Ebudae" is a percussive march with a mushrooming synth, and with its delicate vocals, one must marvel at the beauty of Enya's keening voice.

Entertainment Weekly (4/16/93, p.50) - "...both captivating and elusive....Beneath the aural beauty lies the forlorn, brooding pessimism common to the Irish..." - Rating: A-