Rating: NNNNN
The presence of gospel choirs on rock albums — even those destined to be shot through with a rootsy vibe, as Waterboys discs invariably are — is usually a sure sign of manufactured emotion and thus best avoided. But whatever’s going on in Mike Scott’s life these days is having a seriously healthy effect on his music, as the buoyant and massively anthemic Rock In The Weary Land disc confirms. Framing every grand pronouncement with bold, dramatic sweeps like the above-mentioned choir and wildly diverse instrumentation (electric slide mandolin, anyone?), Scott crafts songs that, while noting Irish traditionalism, lurch forward on the backs of electric guitars and piles of synth. The dude hasn’t sounded this hopped up in years. Should be a blast when the Waterboys play the Warehouse March 26.KH
THE WATERBOYS A Rock In The Weary Land (BMG) Rating: NNNN
