Hoping to capitalize on the surprising success of the recent
Boyzone
reunion,
Ronan Keating
's fifth studio album, a collection of songs dedicated to his late mother, goes back to basics following the disappointing sales of 2006's
Bring You Home
. Considering that his solo career started so brightly with the infectious guitar pop of
"Life Is a Rollercoaster"
and
"Lovin' Each Day,"
it's rather disappointing to see how lazy and uninspired this decision is. With just one original composition, the dull acoustic ballad
"This Is Your Song,"
Songs for My Mother
relies heavily on the kind of limp, lifeless cover versions that
Westlife
, his managerial proteges, have made a career out of. Of course,
Keating
is not exactly a stranger to covers. Only a handful of
's singles were original material and several of his solo hits have been cleverly chosen interpretations of lesser-known U.S. country hits. But the majority of tracks chosen here are unimaginative to say the least. The
Bob Dylan
classic
"Make You Feel My Love"
was only recently tackled with far more aplomb by
Adele
,
"I Believe I Can Fly"
"Suspicious Minds"
are overplayed karaoke staples, and
Cyndi Lauper
's
"Time After Time"
has already been covered by everyone from
Matchbox Twenty
to
Ashley Tisdale
. But even when the album does stray into less familiar territory, on the traditional folk songs
"Carrickfergus"
"The Wild Mountain Thyme,"
it's hampered by
Stephen Lipson
's bland, insipid production, which makes it hard to distinguish one track from another.
only confirms the belief that
has given up on being a relevant chart force and is now content to make records purely to be given as presents for Mother's Day. ~ Jon O'Brien