by Greg Prato
Something that always seems to draw the ire of rock fans is when a veteran artist decides to suddenly change his sound to fit with current trends in hopes of winning over a new set of fans. This certainly isn't the case with Chris de Burgh's 2004 release, The Road to Freedom. Continuing with the same stately and pristine sounds that resulted in a flirtation with the U.S. Top 40 during the mid-'80s (&The Lady in Red,& etc.), Freedom could have easily been released in 1984 rather than 2004. As a result, the focus remains the same -- stark arrangements, de Burgh's Peter Gabriel-esque vocals, new age-ish lyrics, etc. The string-heavy &Snow Is Falling& may sound a bit too much like a tender Broadway ballad for fans of &Don't Pay the Ferryman&; likewise the more sonically understated &Songbird.& De Burgh does pick up the pace elsewhere (e.g., &What You Mean to Me& and &Read My Name&), but it all tends to sound the same from both a musical and emotional standpoint.