"Tempus Vernum" by Enya from A Day Without Rain

"Woah… This is dark."

This common reaction to "Tempus Vernum" has merit. The two minutes and odd seconds of "Tempus Vernum" are packed with darkly-toned music in a Celtic style. The Irish singer's mature voice suits the epic style, remeniscent of "Requiem for a Tower".

The music and vocals meld beautifully if you're fond of dark-sounding music. A Day Without Rain is much lauded as the best album yet produced by Enya (born Eithne Ni Bhraonain), and "Tempus Vernum stands out as one of the best songs on the album.

The Latin lyrics add an ironic twist. While the Latin itself accents the dark feel, the song title is "Spring Time"! Throughout the song, it speaks of opposites in nature, particularly of times of day and cardinal locations. (Though most hearers wouldn't understand that.)

Do you like "Requiem for a Tower"? Check out this song for a comparable treat!

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Lyrics: 5/5
Music: 5/5
Vocal(s): 5/5
Overall: 10/10

"In the End" by Linkin Park from Hybrid Theory

Hey, a piano-synthetic rock mix. This sounds famil—oh.

The words begin—I won't even call the rap "vocals", sorry—and now I recognize the song. Which, I suspect, I would like if not for the rap. (I really like the singer's voice when he actually choses to sing, which not often. Or, at least, not often in Linkin Park's older songs.)

One of the top songs from the band's debut album, the video was particularly popular. I've seen much better videos (like the one for Within Temptation's second UK single, "Frozen"), but I think it's one of the better I've seen that doesn't tell a strict story in the video.

The music for this song is on the better side of average and is better melded than many popular songs, these days. It's still a bit rougher than I like (the rap doesn't help, in my book), but excluding my personal preferences it seems better than average.

Lyricwise, it's hopeless and repetitive. "I tried so hard and got so far, but in the end it doesn't even matter." It's the hopelessness of time, which always passes and nothing we do seems to matter in the long run. That leaves me wondering, "…And what now?" Linkin Park's sadly left that point hanging. I don't find it depressing, true, but I know where I'm going and what actions matter in the long run. Most kids listening to this hopeless song don't.

I can see why this song helped get Linkin Park so popular, but I'd rather listen to a different song, thanks.

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Lyrics: 3/5
Music: 4/5
Vocal(s): 2/5
Overall: 6/10

"She Is My Sin" by Nightwish from Wishmaster

Yikes!

That's the first thought that comes to mind upon hearing the speedy music to "She Is My Sin" by Nightwish, repeated upon hearing Tarja Turunen's classically trained voice more often suited for an opera.

The symphonic power metal combined with the vocalist takes some getting used to, but it's pretty if you can get past the initial shock of hearing them together. Assuming you don't mind metal music or classical vocals, of course—some people find either the music or Tarja Turunen's voice intolerable. It's a combo you'll either love or hate, and their native Finland has decided to love Wishmaster and their other albums.

People struggle to classify the song's genre, since it's so alternative that hearers have rarely, if ever, heard anything comparable. A first impulse is to classify "She Is My Sin" as power metal with gothic and symphonic elments, not quite like Italy's Lacuna Coil (and select songs by Evanescence). The voice of vocalist Tarja Jurunen lead some to term "operatic metal". Furthermore, other genres of music equally influence Nightwish in its music, though I can't strictly identify what besides recognizing there's more there.

The music is striking and memorable, as are the lyrics. On the lyrical note, though, "She Is My Sin" is somewhat disturbing, which seems to be standard from the Nightwish songs I've heard, not all from Wishmaster. "I am the Fallen," admits the narrator. "God, I must confess: I do envy the sinners"? It makes my stomach turn. After a month of thinking about the song, I'm still not sure about it. The "God" is clearly used as if speaking to Him and not as a blaspheme, however.

At any rate, I'm still listening to the song repeatedly despite that, enjoying the haunting imagery in "A sin for him, desire within, a burning veil for the bride too dear for him," after the admission that "In the meadow of sinful thoughts every flower's a perfect one." I wonder if the poignant imagery of "She Is My Sin" is indicative of the rest of Wishmaster?

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Lyrics: 3/5
Music: 4/5
Vocal(s): 5/5
Overall: 7/10

"This Mystery" by Nichole Nordeman from This Mystery

"Say goodnight to the light of the setting sun," Nichole Nordeman starts with the pop piano accompanying her in "This Mystery." Life gets so repetitive and routine like a "revolving door that won't slow down." It's so easy to fall prey to comfort and trust in the routine and forget that a "nice and clean" routine will never be enough. We must live in Christ.

The lines of routine must fall for us to live in Him. We can't trust in the routine to save us—but, knowing that, we often fall prey to doing the precise thing that can't save us. Nichole Nordeman isn't afraid to remind us that we can't stay in our comfortable little bubbles in this, her second CD.

It's not her best song, as far as lyrics go; she has many much more powerful songs and ones with tighter imagery. All the images refer to the same thing here, rather than the progression she often does. And some won't agree theologically with her statement that God "tr[ies] and tr[ies] to invoke us to live in" Him.

Nonetheless, she still shows her pretty alto and piano skill in this song. It's just muted by unnecessary other focuses in the music. That's not to call This Mystery a bad CD (for Nichole Nordeman)—her voice is a easier to hear than it was in much of Wide Eyed, and many other songs on This Mystery make up for the less-than-ideal title track.

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Lyrics: 3/5
Music: 3/5
Vocal(s): 4/5
Overall: 6/10