Menacing as they sound, the songs of mass destruction gathered on Annie Lennox's fifth solo disc don't manage to so much as nick the gorgeous instrument she's built her career on. Weaving artfully as ever around the contours of songs that suggest the worst--Lennox is world-wise and therefore maybe inevitably world-weary--she imparts gravity and grace in a voice as cloudless and surface-smooth as just-brewed mint tea; from the tentative beginnings of the mournful "Dark Road" to the gospel-bottomed gorgeousness of "Ghosts in My Machine," she's in full command of her considerable vocal powers. And it's possible she's never used them to such moving effect on a single record. Earlier Lennox or Eurythmics albums might have succumbed here and there to slight-seeming experiments in style, but Songs of Mass Destruction doesn't dilly-dally. All swerves, even playful ones (see "Love Is Blind" and "Coloured Bedspread," a synth-y song that wouldn't seem so out of place on a recent Madonna record), are on-message: "Womankind" busts wide open not only because it needs to (a voice this big can't be contained, it reminds us), but to demo empowerment, and the hopeful "Sing" signs off with a seconds-long African guest vocal. There's an upside to the destruction of cultural wellness that led Lennox to write this record, and it's artistic creation. Songs of Mass Destruction is a sterling, rock-solid, expert example. --Tammy La Gorce

This cd by Annie is really good, Dark Road should have been a huge hit in the UK, but unfortunatley was overlooked. OK i got absolutley bashed from all sides about reviewing the Sing single, but i can not take to that track. A track that holds the line "what wont kill you will you make strong", about HIV in Africa, well i dont know about Africa, but been an HIV carrier in UK is certainly gonna kill me and make me weaker, so i can not hold that track seriously within. However the rest of the cd is really really good. Womankind and Through The Glass Darkly are potential No.1's, these are so cute they are old style Annie, and avid fans will love them. If i was reviewing Medusa here it would definatley have got 5 stars, but Annie's music has matured with age, and if you are a new fan start from Diva and work your way up to this.

This album sounds very nice with a lot of attention obviously paid to the luxurious sounds and singing. Annie Lennox's voice has lost none of its majesty, and yet somehow it fails to grip me.
Part of it may be the typical evolution of older recording artists, who tend to produce more sophisticated and introspective music as they mature. This is fine, but it turns into music from the mind rather than music from the heart.
As I said, the album sounds good, but I have been more impelled to listen to music from younger artists who write and sing from their hearts.

It is sad that the longevity of an artist equates to them being marginalised by new acts. This is especially true when the artist is as talented a performer and writer as Annie Lennox. The saying 'out with old and in with new' often cruelly overlooks the inequality of the attention given to new acts as opposed to older acts, this often does not relate to the quality of their works either. These days the focus of attention is based on if the act has been in rehab, fined, imprisoned, allegedly using drugs, partying hard etc this to me is sad as great albums like this one are overlooked.

Annie has put togther a wonderful mix of tracks, starting with A Dark Road, which for me is the best of them all allowing us to experience the full range and beauty of her voice and I am destined to wear this track out!

Track 3; Smithereens is another fabulous song that allows Annie to explore her full vocal range with some great words.

With each song you get a great voice and a story.

This talented lady just keeps producing enigmatic music.

Thanks Annie.

I'm surprised by some of the views expressed below. Maybe some reviewers listened to the album just once and gave up on it; it disappointed me, too, on first listening, but it quickly grew on me, as some of the best music does, and now I consider it one of the best albums I've ever heard. The music is rich and complex, with fantastic melodies, and I would say there's only one weak track ('Sing' - and even that has a good chorus). Lennox's voice gets better and better: the vocals on the eerily atmospheric Through The Glass Darkly (for me, the best track), Smithereens, Womankind, and Big Sky are just stupendously good.

What distinguishes this from many other artists' work is the quality of the song-writing: the chord changes are so sophisticated, and there are many layers to every song, so that you hear something new each time you listen. (Rarely true of every single track on an album.) If you like your music raw and imperfect, you might find it over-produced, but in my view the production only enhances the quality.

So would this album would appeal to you? Well, if you liked Lennox's previous solo albums, then probably it would; musically, it isn't a departure from the past. Like me, you might find it an album you're unlikely ever to tire of.