Anthem

Somehow one can’t help suspecting that when the dust settles under Michael Flatley’s flying feet the real winner will turn out to Ronan Hardiman, composer of the score for Flatley’s Lord Of The Dance and collaborator on Feet Of Flame. Add in his solo Solas album and you have sales measuring several millions, not bad for a guy whose profile is lower than Lord Lucan.

Now comes Anthem, and from the getgo the title track tells you this is no vague musical rambling through the celtic mists but the work of a man whose influences range from Phil Coulter and Clannad to the classics and Kraftwerk. ‘That Place In Your Heart’ offers a healthy slab of European trip-hop, a suitably pop-trance vocal from Leslie Dowdall, a generally spiritual vibe and a rhythm hypnotic enough to wear out your toes. Dowdall’s contributions are considerable on several tracks, her silken vocals providing a tantalising counterpoint to Hardiman’s softcore backdrop.

‘Run Away’ is charming enough to repeat the continental hit success of ‘Heaven/Elle Donne’ from Solas, and Roisin O’Reilly’s vocals on the r’n’b tinged ‘Salve’ are positively divine. And just when you think that Hardiman’s musical palette is limited to European classical, pop and Celtic colours along comes the drum-heavy ‘Ancient Lands’ like a more muscular Clannad leavened with tasteful wind effects, chanting voices and rattles that combine to evoke the Middle East. It sets you up nicely for the more subtly atmospheric ‘Where Are You Now’ before the closer ‘Heaven’ mixes the spiritual with a seductive loping beat with Dowdall again in fine form.

Anthem works because, while Hardiman has the classical chops to give him the necessary technical skills, he still thinks like a pop fan.