Chris de Burgh

Something that always seems to draw the ire of rock fans is when a veteran artist decides to suddenly change his sound to fit with current trends in hopes of winning over a new set of fans. This certainly isn't the case with Chris de Burgh's 2004 release, The Road to Freedom. Continuing with the same stately and pristine sounds that resulted in a flirtation with the U.S. Top 40 during the mid-'80s ("The Lady in Red," etc.), Freedom could have easily been released in 1984 rather than 2004. As a result, the focus remains the same -- stark arrangements, de Burgh's Peter Gabriel-esque vocals, new age-ish lyrics, etc. The string-heavy "Snow Is Falling" may sound a bit too much like a tender Broadway ballad for fans of "Don't Pay the Ferryman"; likewise the more sonically understated "Songbird." De Burgh does pick up the pace elsewhere (e.g., "What You Mean to Me" and "Read My Name"), but it all tends to sound the same from both a musical and emotional standpoint. ~ Greg Prato, All Music Guide