Ronan Keating - Stay (2010)
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Ronan Keating
Stay
Tracks
1. Winter Song
2. Stay
3. Scars
4. Homeward Bound
5. River
6. It's Only Christmas Fet. Kate Ceberano
7. Little Drummer Boy
8. Ring Them Bells
9. Caledonia
10. Silent Night
11. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
12. I Won't Last A Day Without You
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Review By Bianca Dantl
The
latest release from Ronan Keating does not display his usual mix of
upbeat pop songs and ballads that have become a custom to the loyal
Ronanite.
Traditional listeners will find this album, "Stay", a
disappointment. The album contains beautiful ballads plus collaboration
with Australia’s own Kate Cebrano; however, it fails to reach the same
heights as his previous albums.
The title track, Stay,
is the closest song on the album that is near similar to his hits. It
is a mellow accompaniment of percussion and piano to which you could
listen to with a glass of wine in one hand and cheese and crackers in
the other.
One half of the album contains songs about the search
for love which is the main focus of most of Keating’s songs. Even
though this album demonstrates the beauty of the voice of the Irish
man, it can become repetitive. The other half of the album contains Christmas classics like Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas and Silent Night.
The original Christmas carol, It’s Only Christmas,
featuring the vocals of Kate Cebrano, is a festive delight. The vocals
enmesh themselves together providing a duet that reminds you of what
this time of year is about. The messages of togetherness
and family are warming to the cockles as the consumerist world can take
a step back and reflect on what truly is important. Neither voice
overpowers the other. The result is the pretty song packed to the brim with hope.
One of the standout carols on the album is the duet of Stephen Gately and Ronan Keating of Little Drummer Boy.
The beginning consists of an organ and a drum playing faintly against
the deceased Gately’s voice. Gately’s voice is hauntingly beautiful as
he sings the first two verses of the carol. The more
notorious chorus, with its louder instrument base including Scottish
bagpipes, is more suited to the power of Keating’s voice. The way in
which the two voices have been joined together again provides us with
the return of the successful collaboration for the last time.
The
album is not the best from Keating, but like the title suggests, true
Ronanites should stay with Keating and hope the next album is back to
what is true Ronan Keating.
RATING: 2.5 out of 5
Brought To You By The Dwarf
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