Update: We were right! Enya did release an album in 2015. On 20 November Dark Sky Island was released. See my album review here.
Original Story, published on 14 July 2014:
When will Enya’s new album be released? As of writing we don’t know. The only information we have is that Enya, Roma and Nicky have been to Abbey Road Studios working on some new material. But while we are waiting, let’s do some qualified guessing on how the album might be. If nothing else it will make the waiting go faster. My! My! Time Flies!
Enya’s last full studio album was And Winter Came, and it was released in November 2008. In today’s music business, for an artist who doesn’t do concerts and seldom gives interviews, six years is a LONG time. But Enya is one of those very few A-list artists who can wait until she’s 100 % ready. Every fan knows that her albums are few and far between. Also, when you have sold over 75 million albums, you can afford to take your time.
A Good, Old Enya Album
When she is waiting this long between each album, though, it is less likely that she will do something radically different on the new release. She could, of course – the label cannot stop her, since her albums will sell no matter what – but she tends to be loyal to her fans. So my guess is that she will make an album in her own, unique style. Simply put: A good, old Enya album.
As of writing, this is what we know:
- The album is partly recorded at Abbey Road Studios
- It will be an album with a classical, orchestral feel
- A concert tour may follow
This is based upon this article on Irish Central and the interview with Nicky Ryan. I think the information that it might be an orchestral album is very interesting. As much as I love synth music and Enya’s voice layering, her music always sounds better with a full orchestra. It is also likely that this orchestral music will be the focus on the upcoming tour since it is music composed to be played live (although we hopefully will get to hear some old, synth based hits too).
Based on this, is it possible to say if it will be a themed album, like The Celts and And Winter Came, or an album with less overall structure – like Watermark or Amarantine? My guess is that it will not be a themed album. Both the classical format and Enya’s discography suggest that it will another album with a romantic and elegant title – but without an overall theme (simply put: it will not be another winter album).
What will an orchestral Enya album sound like? Enya is used to sing before a full orchestra, so that is nothing new. But my guess is that the album will be a mix of the orchestral elements, recorded at Abbey Road Studios with a voice & synth layers recorded at Aigle Studio. An example of this is May It Be from The Lord of the Rings soundtrack. Here we hear London Symphony Orchestra, recorded in London, and voice & synth recorded at . In my opinion this is the best of two worlds; Enya’s unique synth style combined with the epic feel of a full orchestra. One consequence of the orchestral format though is that we probably will get no purely instrumental synth songs, like the classics River or Tea-House Moon. Orchestral versions of Enya’s songs can be heard on the albums by Taliesin Orchestra.
The concept of time has always played an important part in Enya’s lyrics and music. She celebrated her 50th birthday not so long ago. Perhaps we will get some reflections on that on the new album? It is also 25 years since the release of Watermark. There’s a lot of good memories to look back at, and a lot more to look forward to.
At this point it is not a lot that we know about the new album. But the little we know is drawing a fascinating sketch of the release that is under production. It will be exciting to follow this album up until its release, as more and more information becomes available. Stay tuned; This is a great time to be an Enya fan!
Follow my coverage of Enya’s music here.
This was a great read thank you. It could be argued that Enya’s last “enya” album was actually 9 years ago being Amarantine. I say that because And Winter Came was basically a “Christmas Album”. So in essence the last “traditional” enya album was 9 years ago. For some reason I don’t believe the Abbey Road idea worked as well as they had hoped. I know Nicky is incredibly picky when it come to specific sound, and I know Enya won’t move forward if she’s not comfortable with the sound or in this case, the choral work. I think they experimented, but scraped and re-worked in Aigle Studio instead. The thing is, and all of this above is a purely I hunch I have, but the Enya sound has to be Enya, in other words her vocals, I must admit I wasn’t very excited when the rumor of them possibly working with real choirs went floating about. The whole reason I love their music so much is because of that sound. And Winter Came was a nice album, but sound wise I was dissapointed, the high EQ and whimsical instrumentation, whilst fitting for Christmas Themed music was ok, it didn’t have that Rich and Warm beautiful instrumentational and layered feel of all her previous works. Many love And Winter Came but for me personally the Enya sound that I love is the stuff that Shepherd Moons, The Memory of Trees and Amarantine are made of, including all the rest. For the most part I’m hoping that in the next album, that Enya returns to “Enya” a sound that is timeless. But as with all things in life they come and go, so I’m grateful I have those albums to hold on to.
i love enya her music is timeless ,she has been gifted by god , most high enya i love and her music edo ferandoes
Maybe I’m hearing things; but at work, I swear I heard a new Enya song. I know everything she has ever done because I have it all on cd; but this was different. I think it was a Christmas song too. I tried to Shazam it but my phone wasn’t working, and I couldn’t. If I catch it at work again I’ll try to look it up.
enya the spirit and being i was doing yoga when i wanted music to listen to , i was on lime wire ,when when i came across enya,s music, when doing yoga ,i i felt so good doing yoga to enya,s music i found a place so in side my self, where i felt where i belong the work enya does, i would never cross any boundaries with with enya,s being or trashier flashier enya gave me a spiritual dimension high and beyond the illusory material plane, in a realm where moral cause is the principle cause of manifestation , they say don’t become of this world of enjoyment a front and a back . um please enlighten us enya .
Beautiful music for the soul !
my favorite lyric of enya is love belongs to nite and day , to get the chemistry of enya, maby the carpenters come close, to reproduce enya the sound the person,would be impossible, to be graced with what ever it took to make her or enya,i am very thankful ,to be in the same generation , i hope in the future generations chemistry and trade mark still has a presence .
hi my name is ido ferandoes from newzealand i love the enya girls there is not a day goes by when im thinking what are the enya girls up to or when i am meditating on faster faster grass hopper and i smile like i mean it i. make hard thy soul against the snares of self. deserve for it the name of diamond soul. (19) beware of change for change is thy great foe, this change will fight thee off and throw thee back ,out of the path thou tread-est ,deep into the viscous swamps of doubt, and one has estranged thy self from objects of the senses i love the work u do enya ido ferandoes your sincerely manners don’t make sincere ido ferandoes
enya speak from heart so I will endeavor to do so. .some one some where can see what I can . see shine the light on me .all of my life so that I see much more. Eithienes eyes to look thru the eyes of love and to never know what hate is.u don’t know what u got until the whole thing is gone
The days are dark and the road is long.and when u walk away .all hope is gone. Tell me what is right and what is wrong.all I have is the ghost of what could be. Sumers gone and I can’t tell u lies I will stay I will stay until ur love is a live and kicking
Hi enya nz time is 740 pm I hope your able to build on past success which is tryed and true .u can’t build on the past that doesn’t work .so show us what your afraid of and show us .what your made of.summers gone winters in your eyes. I wake every morning. The cold wind covers me.all I got is the ghost of what could be.if you could see the light shining in front of me.if you could light where you be I madea broken dream.I steer out into space I got a heart stone and a sinking feeling inside
Uknow I called u up because nothing takes your places
If you could see the light where you be
Well thank you enya.I must admit I was on the edge seat
Wondering if the album was to be released this year.I know a lot blood sweet and fear go into making an album
I enjoyed the video transcript on dark sky island its good to see enya looking .fresh face and having a positive out look I.m impressed fame can ruin a beutful woman like eithine she hasn’t be come a celebrity train crash.so now when I get to record store I.m looking forward .getting copy and chilling out listening to dark sky island thank you enya for all your hard work. Ido feandoes newzealand
So I could find my way beautiful inspirational u take my breath away there is nothing left to say
No, no, not orchestral. Heavenly. Enya is beautiful and, then there’s her music.