Rock/Pop

Daniel O'Donnell: "I Believe" (Ritz)

Daniel O'Donnell finally stripped bare? On this album I'm afraid he is. From the opening track, Everything Is Beautiful, to the final notes of Desiderata, Daniel reveals himself to be a missionary, a messenger of hope for the masses who still, well, go to Mass. As such, he just may be the perfect voice to mark the presidency of Mary McAleese and a time when his friend Dana continues to speak for the same people who will probably adore this album. And, yes, use songs like I Believe to accompany them on "pilgrimages" to his home. Cynics may say there is no greater sign of spiritual impoverishment in this country than the deification of Daniel O' Donnell. Maybe so. But he is no less a cultural phenomenon than U2 and this album will obviously add to the millions he makes from playing that role. Sadly, he sings as though he himself doesn't know the meaning of spiritual impoverishment.

By Joe Jackson

Spice Girls: Spiceworld (Virgin)

The second album from the most successful girl group of all time has all the right Spice ingredients: the obligatory Latin dance workout (Spice Up Your Life), the Motown pastiche (Stop), and even a swinging big band number (The Lady Is A Vamp), and enough "girl powaah" posturing to ensure that the Spicies will continue to have their wicked way in the wide world of pop. Unsurprisingly, there's no groundbreaking Radiohead-type stuff here; just more spiced-up pop for pre-teens, laced with a few club-conscious beats to ensure full dance floor penetration, and filled with lyrics which shamelessly promote the Girls' mini-pop manifesto. Stop the Spiceworld - I wanna get off.

By Kevin Courtney

Sack: "Butterfly Effect" (Dirt Records)

They might have a somewhat dull and dusty-sounding name, but inside the Sack are some real rock treasures. This great unsung Dublin band has been plugging away for quite some time, but though its members seem immune to success, they're infected with a passion for sharp, sparkling indie tunes. The recent single, Latitude, for instance, looks out on some wide vistas to which other Irish bands are blind, while the coruscating Sleeping On The Floor is a crashed-out burst of brilliant pop. Singer Martin McCann's voice has a stretched-out sublimeness to it, and songs like Bloodlover, Shopsoiled, and Nothing Stays The Same Forever are grubby little soap operas with a cutting edge, while Tallafornia and Wish You Were Here are dirt-flecked observations of life on both sides of the Irish Sea.

By Kevin Courtney