Far Beyond These Castle Walls

On Chris de Burgh's debut album, his gentle, beguiling vocal style is introduced, which instantly trademarks him as a genuine master of the soft ballad. de Burgh's engaging dominance of words and lyrics carries both his love songs and his simple light rock tunes to a higher level, thanks to the attention and care given to each of his pieces. As an inaugural album, the songs hold well as they are delicately cushioned by his voice, but are substantially thin where melody or appealing choruses are concerned. Both "Windy Night" and "Watching the World" draw the most attention, bringing de Burgh's silkiness to the focal point. "Satin Green Shutters" beautifully illustrates his knack for sounding sincere and charismatic within the boundaries of a love song. What is most important about this album is the manner in which it reveals de Burgh as one of the finest mood-invoking artists ever. Even the last song, entitled "Goodnight," ends the album with his lush voice still hovering in the air once the music has finished. While the lyrics and recipe of the songs themselves come across as rather nimble compared to future releases, it is here that he lets his song styling make a name for himself. ~ Mike DeGagne