Clann Zu
“Rua”
(G-7 Welcoming Committee Records)
Clann Zu paint a sometimes lush sound that is too often a bit overdone. It’s ambitious, a little jammy (“All the People Now”) and tedious. “All That You’ve Ever Known” begins with synthesizers, programmed drum beats and string orchestration to form something reminiscent of a background movie soundtrack. The violin adds a nice texture to the sound as well as the occasional Celtic tinge. Save for the album opener “Words for Snow”, it’s pretty passionless. And boring. The spoken word interludes are almost unbearable as is singer’s Declan De Barra’s Peter Gabrielesque tendencies.
