Sinead Lohan - No Mermaid (1998)

Irish singer and songwriter of folk music and folk-inspired popular music, born in Cork.

No Mermaid is the second release for Irish singer/songwriter Sinéad Lohan following 1995's Who Do You Think I Am, which earned her much critical acclaim and commercial success in her homeland. No Mermaid is a pleasant, slightly better than average entry into the crowded field of airy, sensitive female singers with compositions that recall Sarah McClachlan. Vocally, Lohan possesses the same crystal-clear pipes as countrywoman Sinéad O'Connor, although she lacks the firepower. The title track received a smattering of radio play and features a lyric of self-reliance and independence over a pulsating, hypnotic rhythm. "Whatever It Takes" offers unbridled optimism and a groove-oriented melody. There are also some more somber moments that are effective, like the hushed "What Can Never Be" and the yearning "Out of the Woods," which is punctuated with an arresting chorus. Lohan also incorporates world music rhythms into "Believe It if You Like" and dance influences on "Diving to Be Deeper."