Moya and I go way back...
Before I gained the legal eligibility of owning and operating a vehicle of my own, my dear mother would often find it in her heart to selflessly transport me from place to place. Unfortunately, whenever I had the good fortune of catching a ride with her, I was in turn forced to listen to the ultra cheesy contemporary Christian music station that we picked up in town. On one such occasion however, I was lucky enough to hear a Moya Brennan track emerge from the repellent sea of Carman and Twila Paris.
I can still remember thinking, "Man, this sounds way better than everything else on this station. Who is it? Is it Enya?? I think it might be Enya. It sure sounds like Enya. Well whoever it is, it's good. And on a completely unrelated note, I could really go for some Orange Chicken from Magic Wok right about now." Ever since that day, this gifted Irish beauty, whom I eventually learned was Enya's older sister, has held a very special place in my heart.
This is why that when I first popped in Two Horizons I was more than a little disappointed. I was expecting to hear more of the same poppy new age with a slight rock tinge that I had come to enjoy so many years ago, but I was instead greeted with something much more bland. "Show Me" is the album's opener and presumable first single (considering two remixed versions of the song follow later on the disc). It's difficult for me to understand why this track is given so much attention. The much superior and more memorable "Tara" would have made a far better single. Other than that, however, there isn't a lot worth talking about. The brooding "Mothers of the Desert" and the lovely "Harpsong" are both pretty decent songs, but neither of them will blow you away.
The rest of the album is basically a mundane collection of slow-paced new age techno music barely held together by Brennan's mesmerizing vocals. If you're really into the whole Celtic/ambient thing then you might get a kick out of this. If not then I wouldn't give it a second thought. Forgive me Moya dear.
1.5/4
