Reviewed by Mike Rimmer

The Voice Of Clannad releases her third solo album and this time chooses to nail her Christian colours to the mast and record an album of songs that reflect her faith. A Christian for 10 years now, aside from her guest appearance on Iona's 'Journey Into The Morn', this is Maire's first step into the pool of Christian music having swum the oceans of mainstream music in a platinum selling career. If you've got into Celtic sounds through Iona and enjoy that band, this deserves to be on your stereo. This album has the full potential to make it in the mainstream market since Maire's vocal stylings and stunning musical soundscapes are still firmly in place. Simply put, this is a magnificent album! Sung in Gaelic and English, 'Perfect Time' explores issues of faith and pays tribute to the richness of the Celtic Christian tradition, a unifying Irish history that both Catholics and Protestants share. This thought is explored in "Heal This Land" where Maire's not afraid to tackle hard issues and point to the one who can bring healing. "Song Of David" is a Celtic version of Psalm 67 and "Doon Well" is a brilliant instrumental demonstrating Maire's fine Celtic harp playing. "The Light On The Hill" is a tribute to St Patrick and at time of writing, it's slated for single release. Overall this is a delightful album, the sound washes over you like healing water and the lyrics lift the spirit. Much imitated but never bettered, it'll probably sell half a million copies so make sure it finds its way into your collection!

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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