Arguably, it sounds like a way point between "Shepherd Moons" what with its mystical and mysterious vibe and the mid-tempo and craft songs of "The Memory of Trees" with a dose of pizzicato and bounciness to two tracks like "A Day Without Rain". In short, it's her best work "A Day Without Rain".
It should have replaced "The Forge of the Angels" in my respectful opinion. Quick lyrics and string heavy, it's similar to a "A Day Without Rain" album track, very much like the optimistic "Wild Child" or "Flora's Secret". This is, according to many, a fan favourite on the album. The one standout track on the deluxe edition is "Pale Grass Blue". A good song to close out the standard edition. "Diamonds on the Water" is a pleasant song, alternating rhythm cleverly. It's one of those percussion heavy Enya songs and invokes some pretty epic imagery. "The Loxian Gate" is a cosmic journey and reminds me of something like "Storms In Africa" from "Watermark" or the track "The River Sings" from "Amarantine".
"Astra Et Luna" has a beautiful and haunting opening and once in full force, sounds very much like a "A Day Without Rain" album song with the pizzicato strings and bouncy nature of the tempo. If there were more lyrics, perhaps this would have been a huge standout. "Sancta Maria" is an infusion of classical sensibility, new age and contemporary into one. "Dark Sky Island" may be mid tempo and at first listen, a little plodding, but it too shares the best tracks with "Even in the Shadows". "Echoes in Rain", the lead single, is optimistic and very buoyant, if not a little repetitive towards the end. They are similar sounding to her other work and there isn't enough variation to go around to say they are memorable. "Even In The Shadows" is the most "modern of tracks" with a pulsing vein beat and is one of the standouts on the album I believe "Forge of the Angels", "Remember Your Smile" and "Solace" are the weakest tracks, the latter two part of the deluxe additional tracks. Enya has terrific vocals and can sound fragile and strong at the same time. "So I Could Find My Way" and "I Could Never Say Goodbye" are the slow moving ballads, both heartfelt and saddening. It's a signature dark-ish Enya track and sets us on this sort of cosmic journey the album draws on. "The Humming" instantly transports us back to Enya territory, where there is no similar music style or sound to compare with. The album hearkens back to and is most strongly reminiscent of "Shepherd Moons" mixed with "The Memory of Trees". Enya is back after 7 years, 3 of those working on this album in which, although not wholly thematic, is inspired by the world's first "Dark Enya is back after 7 years, 3 of those working on this album in which, although not wholly thematic, is inspired by the world's first "Dark Sky Island".