It’s impossible to listen to Winter Songs without thinking of Stephen Gately, to whom Keating dedicates the album. Ronan acquits himself most handsomely on well-known songs by high-profile writers, especially Paul Simon’s ‘Homeward Bound’, Joni Mitchell’s ‘River’, Paul Williams ‘I Won’t Last A Day Without You’ and Dougie McLean’s ‘Caledonia’ (bizarrely attributed to Fleecy Moore who wrote a totally different song with the same name). The country-tinged Keating original ‘It’s Only Christmas’, and the aching ‘Winter Song’ also pass muster. In contrast, the vocal echo on Dylan’s ‘Ring Them Bells’ does nothing to help the track, but since Mr D stole ‘Little Drummer Boy’ for his own Christmas opus, Keating steals it back – with Gately guesting on it. The planet hardly needs another version of ‘Silent Night’ or ‘Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas’, but they’re here.
On this evidence, Keating seems to have settled into his role as all-round family entertainer. As a solo artist, he seems to have finally found his voice.