Cranes

The Profile

Cranes are an English band from Portsmouth formed by siblings Alison and Jim Shaw. Emerging in the late 1980s with industrial-tinged dream pop, they gained wider attention with Wings of Joy (1991), Forever (1993), and Loved (1994). Their sound blends ethereal vocals, dark atmospheres, and shoegaze textures, later incorporating minimal electronics into 2000s releases.

Formed in Portsmouth, England, by Alison and Jim Shaw. Supported The Cure on the 1992 Wish tour. Key albums include Wings of Joy (1991), Forever (1993), Loved (1994), Population Four (1997), Future Songs (2001), Particles & Waves (2004), and Cranes (2008). Alison Shaw’s distinctive, childlike voice is a hallmark of their sound.

The reviews chart Cranes from the stark, industrial-tinged Self-Non-Self to the ethereal sweep of Wings of Joy, Forever, and Loved, and on to sleeker electronics in the 2000s. Alison Shaw’s unmistakable, childlike timbre and Jim Shaw’s sensitive guitar remain constants. Influences and comparisons span Joy Division, Cocteau Twins, and The Cure. Overall sentiment: warmly positive with praise for evolution and mood.