Waterboys – Universal Hall

Mike Scott always injected spirituality into his music regardless of his myriad stylistic detours, although, like a number of his mid-’80s peers (U2, The Alarm, etc.), he tended to rely more on metaphor when tackling faith-based issues. Since the turn of the millennium, however, he’s dealt with those issues on a more one-to-one basis, an overtly Christian approach. It doesn’t take a church deacon to interpret recent album titles such as A Rock In The Weary Land or Too Close To Heaven.

There’s not a lot of gray area, either, on Universal Hall. The anthemic, Celtic-flavored “This Light Is For The World” is about God’s promise to mankind (e.g., “Loving, blessing, healing as it shines/In darkened places, darkened minds”). “E.B.O.L.” has as its sole lyrics, chanted over a hymn-like drone, “You are an eternal being of love/You are the light of the world.” And the title track, an upbeat slice of violin/piano folk-rock, invokes the concept of surrender with the lines, “I sacrifice my power on the altar of your love/That it may be born again on another world.” Other titles are pretty direct, too (“The Christ In You”, “Silent Fellowship”).

While a lesser artist might render such heavy-duty material unnecessarily didactic, Scott’s instincts prove trustworthy. His raspy-edged vocals seem uncannily assured, and his arrangements for guitars, keyboards, African percussion and strings (courtesy returning fiddler Steve Wickham, a veteran of the band’s late-’80s Fisherman’s Blues heyday) are airy and light and — like faith — buoyant with forward-looking optimism.