Rego Irish Records - Christy Moore

Christy Moore's 1988 self-titled solo album blends the singer/songwriter's traditional Irish melodies and instrumentation with a contemporary production sheen. Unlike some of Moore's folk-oriented outings, this eponymous release bears the stamp of modern pop on "Biko Drum," a pulsing, synthesizer-driven meditation on racial strife in South Africa, and the working-class narrative "Ordinary Man," which fleshes out Moore's minor-key melody with burbling percussion and reverb guitars. Still, "No Time for Love," which features only Moore's voice and an acoustic guitar, hearkens back to Moore's roots, as does the strikingly sincere "Quiet Desperation." Though Moore only wrote one of the compositions on the album (the harrowingly honest "Delirium Tremens"), the intensity with which he sings and his choice of material--much of which deals with hardship and injustice--lend the music the force of personal conviction. CHRISTY MOORE is polished and stripped-down at once, providing a fine snapshot of this important Irish musician.