Motherhood should be the best thing in the personal life of Dolores Mary Eileen O’Riordan Burton. However, I have the theory that it has not been a good thing for her musical career. Since the birth of her first child, The Cranberries’ albums lacked of the magic the previous records had. Now that the band no longer exists, Dolores’ solo debut follows that trend. The only thing in “Are you listening?” that might evoke the early days of The Cranberries is Dolores’ distinctive voice. The album consists of twelve predictable soft rock tracks about the birth of her children (“Ordinary Day”), her husband (“Apple of my Eye”) and her late mother-in-law (“Black Widow”). The first single “Ordinary Day” is by far the best song here, and it is average at best. There is no hidden gem on the record. There is nothing here worth of appraisal. Buy this album only if you are a hardcore fan of Dolores O’Riordan.
Radiohead – originally known as "On a Friday", the band was given two weeks after signing to Parlophone to change their name. The band renamed themselves after the 1986 Talking Heads song "Radio Head" on the album True Stories, claiming it as the "least annoying song" from the album.
