Pop/Rock - Former singer with the multi-platinum 90's Irish pop/rockers The Cranberries, Dolores O'Riordan returns with her second solo album No Baggage via ZOE/Rounder. Much like her 2007 solo debut, the fine Are You Listening?, this new project is filled with the trademark O'Riordan voice -- a combination of strength and airy, whispered vulnerability -- and some richly layered, surprisingly powerful self-penned tracks.

Solidly rocking anthems such as "Be Careful" and lead track "The Journey" are balanced nicely with both ballads ("Lunatic") and some retro-pop (the Beatle-ish "Fly Through" for an album that is both a personal statement and a more seasoned philosophical take on life, relationships and putting things into a larger perspective.

"I probably haven't worn my heart on my sleeve like this since the second Cranberries album (1994's seven-million selling No Need to Argue)," says O'Riordan. "It's at times very confessional and dealing with my true emotions. Everyone, through their experiences or their background, has had terrible moments where they think they can't handle it. With this record I'm trying to show that, no matter how bad things may seem, it's not really that bad in the big picture."

Co-produced by O'Riordan and Dan Brodbeck, the fittingly titled No Baggage finds the singer rejuvenated and clear-eyed about the future. It's a given that the new album won't reach the sales heights of the 40-million selling Cranberries years (her last project sold a respectable 350k worldwide), but it's refreshing to hear music this vital, impassioned and alive from a woman who observes simply that "I never lack for inspiration."

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