Irish singer Ronan Keating has released a new album entitled Songs from Home. The themes are Irish heritage and love.
The music is Pop, combined with Irish Folk. The album has traditional and classic sounds, with a touch of modern. The instruments, including the piano and guitar, give the record beautiful musical flavours. The music is soothing with great rhythm. The compositions are remarkable, including Ronan Keating’s original song Set in Stone. The flute in some of the pieces, such as The Island, is beautiful and reminds me of a classic song called Green Sleeves. When hearing this album, one can feel the Irish culture and traditions. Although I’m not Irish, I feel like I am hanging out with the locals in Ireland. It genuinely honours the Irish heritage, and Ronan Keating did a remarkable job of it.
Ronan Keating’s voice is soft and beautiful. He sings with heart and soul as he honours his Irish heritage. There are two great duets: one with his Storm Keating (The Blower’s Daughter) and another with Mary Black (No Frontiers). These two performances are fantastic – in both cases, their voices complement each other.
The album has lovely covers of songs by various Irish artists and bands, but there’s one original piece entitled Set in Stone. It’s a song written by Ronan Keating and Dan Healy, and the lyrics are romantic and poetic.
The words are from the heart, rich in freestyle poetry, language and depth. The metaphors have a profound symbolism representing the various challenges one faces in love and the achievements in overcoming them. The first example is the storm, depicting the obstacles one puts in the way (i.e. doubt and fear) or external factors. The other example is the wall, a symbol of protection and hope. This song symbolizes true love in its purest form through the title and metaphor Set in Stone, which demonstrates the strength of a relationship with something etched in stone. The meaning of the tune is sweet and heartfelt.
The album Songs from Home is available.