<i> Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor) to five (a classic). : </i>

*** 1/2 THE WATERBOYS “Room to Roam” Ensign / Chrysalis

Here’s a perfect album if you’re in love. Mike Scott certainly is--with a woman (he giddily recounts his discovery in “A Man Is in Love”) and with his adopted rural Irish home (whose music and inspiration fill this collection). And Scott the Scotsman is also still in love with the spiritual quest that has fueled the four previous Waterboys albums.

In some ways, though, the earthy music and the contented tone make this seem a bit of a retreat. Historically, a seeker’s art is more compelling when he still hasn’t found what he’s looking for--and this album suggests that’s true in Scott’s case. With the acoustic mix of reels and Van Morrison-influenced explorations on 1988’s “Fisherman’s Blues,” Scott and crew struck a balance between the light and the heavy. Only in a few places here do they leave the pub jam session and get back to the hunt for meaning.

On the other hand, the pure existential joy of these 17 songs and fragments makes this far and away Scott’s least pompous outing--unless you think a Scotsman’s guileless romance with Ireland falls into the latter category. If you’re a romantic yourself, it would be hard to pass through this ceilidh without catching its spirit.