Despite her conspicuous absence from the public eye, controversial Irish singer Sinead O’Connor is, if not overly prolific, still musically active. Having announced her retirement from the superficial world of showbiz to focus on more personal issues, she seems to be having a particularly hard time letting go of her musical spirit. Immersing herself in her Gaelic roots, she recorded an album of traditional folk songs, which is as far from the commercial market as one could possibly get. On the other hand, releasing a double album (one half rarities, one half live recordings) and a compilation of her collaborations with other artists does hint that she may be trying to reap some fruit from her past efforts to make up for the diminishing returns of her current modus operandi!It’s nothing to be ashamed of really, especially considering that the true worth of much of her work has been overshadowed by her (way too public) personality crises and political issues, and grossly overlooked by the media. Indeed, although she is mostly remembered for her hit cover of Prince’s Nothing Compares 2 U, Sinead’s other releases were just as laudable if not more promising; her voice always unique and penetrating. It is no wonder really, that so many outstanding artists - U2, Massive Attack, Jah Wobble, The The, Peter Gabriel, Moby, Afro-Celt Sound System and Asian Dub Foundation included – felt the need to involve her in their own compositions. Such collaborations however, are often scattered, some even pass by unnoticed, and this makes this compilation all the more precious. Sinead’s work with U2’s The Edge on Captive, for example, is not so easy to find, having been recorded way back when she hadn’t even released her stunning debut album. Less hard to find, but equally worthy tracks include those recorded with Bomb The Bass, The The, Terry Hall, Moby and more recently Massive Attack and Asian Dub Foundation. It takes but one listen to gems like Kingdom of Rain, 1000 Mirrors or Visions of You to draw you towards Sinead O’Connor’s natural talent. Two hearings, and you’ll be looking for her solo records! Bliss!

AbstrassHard to understandLong overdue and keenly anticipated, the debut album from one of Malta’s longest-standing bands (and possibly the island’s ultimate punk phenomenon) wears its right to make use of poetic licence firmly on its sleeve, and in more ways than one. First and foremost, the album’s vague conceptual thread goes against the motives that spawned the original punk movement; secondly, grammar is not essential, as long you get the idea of what the song is about; and thirdly, the old school still rules! With all of this in mind, and feeling a tad more prepared for what Hard To Understand has to offer, opening number Wish I Never Be Existed (see above!) leaps in with a mighty kick that pretty much sets the tempo for the next half hour or so!The upside here is that, considering diversity was a priority of the punk agenda, the songs work sufficiently well, possibly because each song here was recorded – in true punk fashion, some might say - in one “get up and give it all you’ve got” live take in a home studio. But if budgets were low, energy and spontaneity aren’t and this album is certainly not short of the same spark that makes every one of Abstrass’ live gigs such a crowd puller. That however, doesn’t mean there are no moments that should have been either re-recorded or even dropped. The main culprits here are The Bastards’ Lies, which fails apart in the melody stakes; and Pope, which, despite enjoying overwhelming popularity as a live crowd favourite, sticks out like a sore thumb here, and it actually seems like it was only included for its novelty factor. In contrast, the top tune here, Make Love Not War, encapsulates the very spirit of punk – energy and passion delivered in musical bursts and lyrical authority! Hard to understand? Not at all!