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Aug 12, 2014 Sinead O’Connor By Alee Karim

Within the first minute of album opener, “How About I Be Me?” Sinéad O’Connor presents us with the thesis of I’m Not Bossy, I’m The Boss. “I want to be a real, full woman,” she tells us, delineating the architecture of her feminism over the rest of that track and the rest of the album, a thoughtful and poignant statement on a woman negotiating the paradox of her power and fragility.

What a shame, then, that the music is only passable. Nothing really sticks to the ribs on I’m Not Bossy…, not even after multiple listens. O’Connor’s voice is capable, but it is never pushed, and her backing band plays tepid session rock swaddled in safe, uninteresting production.

O’Connor never really goes big with any of these songs and never passes the limits of the uninteresting backing music. There needn’t necessarily be hooks if the songs were more intimately delivered, but why invite everyone over only to toe the line? Given the strength of O’Connor’s sentiment and (purported) inspiration on this project, it feels like this was a missed opportunity. (www.sineadoconnor.com)

Author rating: 4/10