When one mentions Ireland and rock musician in the same sentence, it is usually to describe such rock acts as U2 and Sinead O'Connor. However, a new band has emerged from the Emerald Isle.

An Emotional Fish is perhaps the next super band to pop out of Ireland's treasure chest of rock.

With their recently released self-titled album, Ireland's newest rock band has attracted much attention worldwide. The distinguishing characteristic of An Emotional Fish is their ability to mesh deep, meaningful lyrics with a catchy rock sound which borders on the psychedelic style prevalent in Europe today. Instead of doing traditional love songs (boy meets girl, boy falls in love, relationship falls apart), An Emotional Fish disguises the songs to the point where an inattentive ear would not be able to pick up on the major theme.

A case in point is the single "Celebrate." Though on one level, a listener hears "Celebrate, this party's over, I'm going home," on another level, one realizes the lyrics allude to the pangs of painful love, and the relief felt after the hurtful relationship reaches a conclusion.

All of the songs on this album can be interpreted on one of many levels which adds to the depth of the album. Love is just one of the many emotions and ideas that are sung about through this eleven-track audio bonanza. The environment, the innocence of youth, pure beauty, and even greed are other topics for such songs as "Grey Matter," "Blue," "Lace Virginia," and "All I Am." It would be deceitful to suggest that every song on the album is a gem. However, an overwhelming majority of the songs are quite appealing.

Some critics have suggested that An Emotional Fish is well on the road to becoming the next U2. Their varied song topics are a pleasant deviation from the usual non-stick wallpaper music lyrics heard in most popular songs today. With a unique style, and amazing song-writing skills, An Emotional Fish is certain to please even the most demanding rock fan. Are they truly the next U2? Gerard Whelan, Enda Wyatt, David Frew, and Martin Murphy are certainly a group of exceedingly talented musicians, and only time will tell if they can be propelled to the elevated plane of rock superstardom. n