• Record Label: Reprise
  • Release Date: Nov 22, 2005
User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 56 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 43 out of 56
  2. Negative: 8 out of 56

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  1. nandoc
    Mar 15, 2006
    10
    Best album of this year.
  2. Ritzhi
    Jan 1, 2006
    9
    Nice album. Relaxing and comforting you when you are strezz :)
  3. matiusn
    Feb 8, 2006
    9
    Eventhough Amarantine may seem to be in the wrong era, it still proves itself to be a great work by a great artist. It is as compelling as it is calming.
  4. CiaranG
    Jan 4, 2007
    10
    So so beautiful. It's very calming.
  5. czwsh
    Jan 6, 2006
    10
    Excellent - just what you would want from Enya
  6. BobbyS
    Jan 6, 2006
    10
    Her best work so far. "Somebody said goodbye" is the best Enya song ever. Really, this is the most solid album of all, every single song is good and not boring/lame!
  7. Endymion
    Feb 10, 2006
    10
    This album should be bought by everyone. Its Enya in her best,even with few or any promotion about her music she can sell more than 5 million Amarantines in the world. I fear that with a lot of garbage music that exists in this planet,some excellent artists could be forgotten and lost.About Amarantine album - Less Than a Pearl,The River Sings and Water Shows The Hidden Heart are the This album should be bought by everyone. Its Enya in her best,even with few or any promotion about her music she can sell more than 5 million Amarantines in the world. I fear that with a lot of garbage music that exists in this planet,some excellent artists could be forgotten and lost.About Amarantine album - Less Than a Pearl,The River Sings and Water Shows The Hidden Heart are the powerfull ones. BUY THIS ALBUM Collapse
  8. Lusitano
    Dec 14, 2005
    10
    The Best album of the Year,better than Madonna plagues. I can't find anything wrong in this album.
  9. BlakeT
    Dec 24, 2005
    9
    Wow! Great album. Yes, it is more of the same. More brilliance. More touching. More inspirational. Don't listen to the other reviews. If you liked Enya before, this album is a must buy. Title track is very beautiful and poetic.
  10. Zavijava
    Jan 28, 2006
    9
    The pure shock of seeing a new Enya album out on the shelves made me buy this disk. I wasnt sure what to expect even. Upon first play, I wasnt too impressed but listening to it a second time I started to warm up to the melodies. Now I love most of the tracks. As a musician, I think some of the composition work on some of the songs could have been better written. Some of the high points in The pure shock of seeing a new Enya album out on the shelves made me buy this disk. I wasnt sure what to expect even. Upon first play, I wasnt too impressed but listening to it a second time I started to warm up to the melodies. Now I love most of the tracks. As a musician, I think some of the composition work on some of the songs could have been better written. Some of the high points in the songs drop away just as it gets your juices flowing leaving one wanting more and unsatisfied. Very nice Enya harmonies, very nice lyrics. A bit more energy here and there would make this album superb. Expand
  11. AaronH
    Oct 28, 2006
    9
    I at first was dissapointed with the same issue as others have had, the "I've heard this before." problem. While at first I wasn't impressed, after repeated listeningings, I've grown rather fond of it and commonly listen to it while I work.
  12. PatrickL
    Jan 30, 2006
    10
    This CD is very amazing. I love Enya's music and this was probably the best besides "Only Time".
  13. StuartT
    Sep 21, 2006
    8
    Not as good as previose albums could have been better, however, could have been alot worse. Lets hope it will not take Enya another five years to bring out another album.
  14. Osakasan
    Jan 13, 2006
    8
    Strange how all the negative reviews of Amarantine criticize Enya for what she does best... true, it's not radically different from her previous work, but we don't come to Enya albums expecting something radical or experimental. This is the best collection of songs she's recorded since The Memory Of Trees, and there's nothing wrong with the fact that it recalls her Strange how all the negative reviews of Amarantine criticize Enya for what she does best... true, it's not radically different from her previous work, but we don't come to Enya albums expecting something radical or experimental. This is the best collection of songs she's recorded since The Memory Of Trees, and there's nothing wrong with the fact that it recalls her past work. Not everything needs to be innovative to be successful. Expand
  15. [Anonymous]
    Jan 19, 2006
    9
    There are many reasons to love what Enya does & how she does it. Whether you enjoy her music or not, compared to some of the crap being pumped out in recent years, the Enya-Roma partnership has produced some of the best music of all time, as evidenced by the rushof the movie industry to use Enya material. Just as I appreciate the pure, raw, pounding sound of AC/DC, I'm also an Enya There are many reasons to love what Enya does & how she does it. Whether you enjoy her music or not, compared to some of the crap being pumped out in recent years, the Enya-Roma partnership has produced some of the best music of all time, as evidenced by the rushof the movie industry to use Enya material. Just as I appreciate the pure, raw, pounding sound of AC/DC, I'm also an Enya aficionado for the superb melodies, harmonies, choice of instrumentation & lyrics. What other artists can use Gaelic, English & Latin in their tracks & command such a huge following of people who only may've experienced Latin if they grew up a Catholic years ago? I never thought I would ever stray from the great, driving rock & roll juggernaut that is AC/DC. But I don't give a damn in what language she sings - the sheer beauty of the Amarantine cut, "If I Could Be Where You Are", brings out the purist in me. AC/DC makes me feel good, but the superb talent that is Enya just blows me away! Expand
  16. KaRey
    Feb 15, 2006
    10
    Calming and Refreshing like an oasis in the desert. deserves praise.
  17. KayS
    Feb 18, 2006
    10
    Just what I expect from Enya. Only Enya could make me want to cry with one song and feel at peace with myself with the next. Enya is able to evoke may great feeling in her readers. I love every single song on the album but the songs Long Long Journey as it reminds me of my circumstances and Amarantine are my favorites.. Btw whats wrong with having an album extremely calming and Just what I expect from Enya. Only Enya could make me want to cry with one song and feel at peace with myself with the next. Enya is able to evoke may great feeling in her readers. I love every single song on the album but the songs Long Long Journey as it reminds me of my circumstances and Amarantine are my favorites.. Btw whats wrong with having an album extremely calming and refreshing? I fail to see the problem. These song are way better than the rap, hip hop and soul I listen to. Expand
  18. AnthonyS
    Sep 17, 2006
    10
    It never fails to astound me how often the media misses shining stars like this cd and instead glorifies the albums that won't last more than two or three years. Enya will be around for the next 50 years and onward, this album was no exception. 5 stars, no question. Her words are profound and striking. While at first you may not notice them, once you realize what she's saying it It never fails to astound me how often the media misses shining stars like this cd and instead glorifies the albums that won't last more than two or three years. Enya will be around for the next 50 years and onward, this album was no exception. 5 stars, no question. Her words are profound and striking. While at first you may not notice them, once you realize what she's saying it really hits home. Expand
  19. JohnC
    Dec 12, 2005
    7
    While it lacks some of the energy of her earlier works, it's a soothing multi-nuanced listen.
  20. RichardH
    Dec 17, 2005
    10
    Great work by Enya, her best so far.
  21. Nov 22, 2012
    10
    **** the critics. They don't know **** This is some quality stuff right here. Very nice surreal sound and emotional songs with poetic power. Her voice is still charmingly dream-like, and the layover voice production is top-knotch. The songs are powerful, love "The River Sings". Don't listen to the critics; they think one direction is good. **** them.
  22. Oct 31, 2012
    8
    Enya is hit or miss depending on your taste. Amarantine seems to be a bit more sugary than usual, but it's still good stuff. Buy it if you like Enya, otherwise it might be a bit too much.
  23. Jul 19, 2013
    10
    "Amarantine" shows that Enya doesn't have a formula; very different to its predecessor, the album is most relaxing and vocals are more detectable. The three loxian songs are evidences of Roma's talent as songwriter. A perfect "new age" CD.
  24. Oct 21, 2017
    8
    Enya te coloca em um outro universo nesse CD, explorando um idioma criado por sua própria compositora, Roma Ryan, em algumas músicas, algo que não é comum de se ver.
Metascore
55

Mixed or average reviews - based on 7 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 7
  2. Negative: 1 out of 7
  1. While Amarantine will do nothing to win over the wrongly pegged new age artist's many detractors, longtime fans will find enough moments of serendipitous pleasure to hold them over for another five years.
  2. Amarantine sounds like it was born in cloistered solitude, self-referentially echoing Enya albums past.
  3. Billboard
    50
    This album is calm and relaxing almost to a fault. [26 Nov 2005]