Critics Roundup 1990

All things considered, it was a pretty good year for Irish music. In the realm of rock, the home scene is still growing apace, and the emergence of new contenders of the calibre of Power of Dreams offers justified hope for our continued relevance in the international arena. In that particular context, the success story of Sinéad O’Connor was quite remarkable – gratifying too to see The Hothouse Flowers, now rejuvenated, and Something Happens, making a telling impact in foreign parts.

Here at home it was a rewarding year also, with bands like The Stunning and Saw Doctors making a huge impact and The Dixons and Lir shaping up like they can go the distance. On the debit side, how come no-one has picked up on Jonah, Belfast’s brightest? And in the same context, can anyone explain to me the reluctance of Southern promoters to give Northern bands a break down here? Surely this emergent pluralism should extend into the rock arena?

In the field of roots music, it was a very strong year indeed. People like Brian Kennedy – what a marvellous debut album – Rory McLeod from Britain and the wonderful Four Men and a Dog in their different ways restored my faith in human nature, but the best of all was the re-emergence after 13 years of the wonderful Christie Hennessy. Simply put, the man is a genius, a fact which will become manifestly obvious to all with the release of his new album in the spring, and finally it was good too to witness the superb return to form of Clannad with ‘Anam’.

’90 was a good year, alright – but from where I’m standing, the signs for 1991 look more promising still. Watch this space.