Fridae

Ms Scary can still recall - with heart a-pounding - that moment on America's Next Top Model where Tyra Banks lost it and screamed at model wannabe Tiffany: "BE QUIET! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU? STOP IT! I HAVE NEVER IN MY LIFE YELLED AT A GIRL LIKE THIS!"

Now Ms Scary believes that the supermodel host would never have gone off the rocker and embarrassed herself on her own show (in front of millions!) had she cultivated the habit of listening to the soothing music of Ms Eithne Ni Bhraonain - better known to the music world as the enigmatic Enya.

Last heard humming in the background on Mario Winans' "I Don't Want To Know," the reclusive 44-year-old finally emerges from her castle in Killiney after a five years hiatus with Amarantine. As expected, the brand new album offers more of the Irish singer-composer's brand of contemplative new age music perfect for grieving widows going on lonely walks in the Moors.

With Amarantine, Ireland's second biggest musical export after U2 serves up moments of ethereal enchantment (and bewilderment) by singing in some undecipherable language on "Less Than A Pearl" and "Water Shows The Hidden Heart," and by going festive on "Long Long Journey" and "Amid The Falling Snow."

In Ms Scary's personal opinion, the Clannad member still does the best impression of a heartbroken lass on haunting ballads such as "It's In The Rain," "Someone Said Goodbye" and "A Moment Lost," and perhaps harbours the ambition of cornering the interpretive dance market with the upbeat "The River Sings."

Unfortunately, while 1988's "Orinoco Flow" was a breath of fresh air in an industry saturated with manufactured pop, Ms Scary now finds herself hard-pressed to distinguish the tracks on Amarantine from the three-time Grammy Award winner's previous albums. To make matters worse, Ms Scary belongs to the camp that finds new age music to be both stultifying and exasperating.

Strictly for die-hard fans of Enya and Clannad.

Scary's Selected Spins: "Less Than A Pearl," "It's In The Rain," "Long Long Journey," "Someone Said Goodbye" and "A Moment Lost."