MAIRE BRENNAN; "Misty Eyed Adventures" (Atlantic). * * *
Ireland's Maire Brennan (her first name is pronounced "Moya") probably gets tired of comparisons and references to her younger sister, the meditative songstress Enya. She hasn't yet gained Enya's solo fame - but is working on it.
For one thing, Brennan's often-sad and softly pretty soprano is distinctive and bound to attract more notice, as it already has with the group Clannad ("Harry's Game," used in the film "Patriot Games," and the theme from "Last of the Mohicans"). For another, she's developing a most appealing sound all her own, Earth-motherly and mystical at the same time.
Though not to the degree of Enya's ground-breaking albums, "Misty Eyed Adventures" has a certain concept-cohesiveness about it, a flow in large part due to both Brennan's wonderful singing and a buoyant backing chorus on many of the songs featuring a host of other Brennan sisters (Dee, Olive and Bridin). As a result, tracks like "The Days of the Dancing" and the title number have a dense, Phil Spector-ish wall-to-wall production yet convey a folk-pop flavor that echoes in the memory.
The song that will get the most notice, though, is her remake of Joni Mitchell's many-layered "Big Yellow Taxi" (which is both a love and ecological lament). While remaining true to the original, Brennan bends all kinds of genres, giving it a most appealing world-music energy.
That open-armed international musical embrace is also evident on songs like the rolling and rhythmic tune "The Watchman"; the epic "Heroes," sung in Gaelic and English; and the country-and-Irish ballad "Dream On."
ENYA; "The Celts" (Reprise). * * *
Speaking of Enya . . . her debut album has been remastered, retitled and rereleased on her current label. Fans should be alert: Many will already have the collection, released in 1986 on Atlantic and simply titled "Enya." Gone is the stark black and white cover of that original, replaced by eye-catching portraits strong in reds and burgundys and pastels - splashes of color reminiscent of her videos and the multimillion-selling albums "Watermark" and "Shepherd Moons."
Musically, "Portrait (Out of the Blue)" has been rerecorded and expanded, and other cuts have been digitally remastered; otherwise, "The Celts" is "Enya," with the same song list and sequence, including ethereal pieces like the title number, "March of the Celts," "Fairytale" and the two versions of "To Go Beyond."
The CD booklet has been beefed up, with more photos and informational phrases about the songs. Most of the pieces were originally composed for a mid-'80s TV production about the history and legacy of the Celts, the ancient culture today represented by such peoples as the Irish, Welsh and Scots.
Enya's trademark diaphanous melodies and lovely old-yet-new themes are audible on "The Celts/-Enya," yet many cuts seem truncated or too wispily insubstantial - a trait often found on soundtracks. In other words, curious fans will find much in the collection to recommend it - including the new booklet - yet the album itself somewhat lacks the flowing unity and mood-weaving magic of her subsequent masterworks.
RATINGS: four stars (* * * * ), excellent; three stars (* * * ), good; two stars (* * ), fair; one star (* ), poor, with 1/2 representing a higher, intermediate grade.