The Courier-Journal April 7, 1990, Saturday "I DO NOT WANT WHAT I HAVEN'T GOT" KRISTIN FAUREST "I DO NOT WANT WHAT I HAVEN'T GOT" Sinead O'Connor (Ensign) Formats: LP, cassette, CD Few would accuse Sinead O'Connor of being lighthearted -- or even particularly cheerful. Not one to make music for music's sake, the 23-year-old native of Dublin, Ireland, moans cathartic, angst-filled lyrics in "I Am Stretched on Your Grave" and "The Last Day of Our Acquaintance." Much of "I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got" consists of slow, almost tender songs, in sharp contrast to the primal howls of 1987's "The Lion and the Cobra." But, although this release is of a much more subdued nature than the last one, O'Connor's voice still has that unmistakable undertone of fury restrained. This is not a sentimental record. Some of the more striking tracks here are "The Emperor's New Clothes," which has a catchy beat and melody that belie its twisted lyrics, and "Black Boys on Mopeds," a Michelle Shocked-like acoustic guitar ballad that bitterly criticizes Margaret Thatcher's England. "I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got" is blissfully sparse in sound, consisting mainly of acoustic guitar, bass and drums. There's also a live string ensemble -- not an electronic facsimile -- to grace "Feel So Different" and "Three Babes." It is to O'Connor's credit that the instrumentation is kept low-key. She has the type of voice that dominates the music no matter what style it is or how many instruments are employed. Unlike the lush, flowery undulations of Kate Bush or the quirky warbles of Laurie Anderson, O'Connor's is a cool and flawless sound that imbues the songs with a tense and eerie quality. However, the record itself isn't so flawless. It would benefit immensely from the removal of its first single, "Nothing Compares 2 U," a boring and tiresome Prince song fraught with self- indulgent lyrics and maudlin metaphors. It definitely wouldn't suffer from the loss of "Jump in the River," a rocker that would improve the average Joan Jett record but doesn't do much for this one. But put these two tracks aside, and "I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got" is a provocative, no-nonsense record.