Ronan Keating - Fires

(CD Album Review)

*****
Ronan releases his best album to date!

I have liked Ronan Keating since I was a kid and saw his band Boyzone play at the Oxford Apollo (Now the New Theatre) but have always thought his solo records could be even better than they where. This brings me up to his new album 'Fires' which I have been hearing really good things about. The new Ronan Keating album came out and from the straight off looking at the cover it looked good, so I thought I would grab myself a copy and I was not disappointed. I would say Ronan has really grown up and invented his songwriting and this is shown straight away on the title track and first track on the album 'Fires' which has a feel of U2 in the backing and hints of X-Factor winner Matt Cardle. It is a really great Pop song that people into Rock would also like it's a long way from his early Boyzone days. It does have that distinctive Ronan vocal style to it but even his vocals have developed and grown up.

'I've got You' also sounds like he has been taken influences from fellow Irish men U2, think 'Boy' if you mixed it with the 'Joshua Tree' and then turned it Pop. I also like the cover of this album which shows a more edgy Ronan wearing leather gloves. I think this depicts changes in his life. These changes have most definitely come out in the new record and it's a record that could be enjoyed by people into any genre of music.

What I love about this album is all the emotion that he has put into every song. This is a truly great Pop record. He get's really interesting with 'Love you and leave You' which you could compare to a song by any of his contempories from Elton John to Newton Fawlkner. 'Nineteen Again' sounds like a grown up Boyzone track and I have no idea why it has been off the radar because it sounds like a big hit to me. Maybe it's too similar to songs that he did with band in the 90's. I do love this track though and have played it loads.

He brings the album down acoustic and Folky on the tracks 'Wasted Light' and' Lullaby' and I would love to hear him perform these at one of the Folk festivals this summer. If you don't like it Folky why not listen to the funky 'NYC Girl' which is very Maroon 5 or maybe even the stadium filler 'Oxygen' these are just some of the great tracks on this album because their are no fillers on this record.

If you like Pop music and want to buy a great new album you can't go wrong with this one. It has everything you could possibly want from a Pop record. This is already one of my favourite albums of the year and a record I will be playing from years to come.Ronan has put a fire back in our hearts for him and I can't wait to hear what he does next.