Mike76

And anyway, congratulations on the review, especially for the sentence "the lyrics of the songs were dramas masked by a fake and temporary collective celebration that seemed to be shared, and it managed to describe its suffering under a veil of sunshine, in a special but above all ironic way." It well describes the bitter joy with which some sad souls try to forget their unhappiness. Another character who behaved in this way that comes to mind is perhaps Marc Almond. I don't have the album, I only have the CD I reviewed, but I was more inclined to get "The Affectionate Punch" than this one; what do you recommend?

Here it is, the review! I couldn't find it because you attributed it to "THE" Associates while mine is just under Associates. We can agree and ask the editors to have everything under the same name. I would suggest removing the "The" if you agree.

Really? I knew they were signed to the same label but I didn't know they had collaborated. By the way, after McKenzie committed suicide, Smith dedicated the song "Cut Here" to him (which, to be honest, I've never listened to). Surely the album you mentioned will be one of my next purchases; it's true that with Associates CDs, you either order them or you can't find them anywhere.

In my personal DJ playlist, there's "Nada!" which I consider a good album, but I find it hard to feel the urge to buy one of their more folk-oriented works, especially after seeing Douglas live a few years ago: I found it frankly too monotonous and boring. Folk, apocalyptic or not, has never been at the top of my preferences.

A few years ago, I learned from an interview with Alison about the disputes with the record label that wanted to turn the Cranes into a classic 90s alternative rock band. Looking at the cover of "Population 4" featuring Jim’s checkered shirt, I started to fear that the album would be a tribute to Kurt Cobain, and indeed, while listening to it, there are unfortunately some nods to the Grunge fashion. The style of the sudden guitar outbursts in some tracks seems to come more from Seattle than from "Lillies" or "Clear." In any case, not all bad things are harmful, and aside from the poor "Stalk" (I agree that Alison can be monotonous in the long run, but did we really need to have Jim sing?), the rest is more than decent, especially in the second half with the sunny "Brazil," the unsettling "On Top of the World," and the energetic "Let Go."

Excellent album if it weren't for "A Photograph Of You," "Satellite," and "The Meaning Of Love." Torn between 3 and 4, I’ll give it a 4 also because it's the most unjustly underrated album of our time.

For me too, "Wild Mood Swings" is inferior, and I highlighted it. I made the comparison because both are uneven albums featuring songs with different styles and moods; there's no doubt that "Kiss Me x 3" is the more successful one.

Yes, nice, but for me it's a sort of "Wild Mood Swings" from the 80s, though fresher and more successful. Alongside gems like "The Kiss," "Snakepit," "Just Like Heaven," "If Only Tonight We Could Sleep," "Catch," and "Fight," we find duds or tracks that would have been better off as b-sides like "Hot Hot Hot!!!," "Hey You," "All I Want," and "How Beautiful You Are." A more careful selection of the tracklist wouldn't have hurt, but perhaps Smith thought to take advantage of the space offered by the CD format (which was a novelty at the time). Over time, the overly melodramatic register that Robert maintains in too many songs can be a bit tiring. Nonetheless, the courage to go beyond the dark label and further expand the proposal, as already done in "The Head On The Door" and "The Top," is commendable. For me, it's a solid three, but it doesn't reach a four.

I can agree that Alison's voice is both a delight and a burden for the listener. The singer is the trademark and at the same time the limit of the group, given that she has a voice that lacks versatility, leading me to compare her to an O'Riordan (a negative comparison) or a Frazer (a positive comparison). As for the EP in question, as I mentioned in my review of Hypnosphere, it has never excited me too much; I find it somewhat cold and prematurely dated, even though it still features some good tracks.

Yes, it does indeed have a rougher and more electric/electronic sound than all the other Cranes albums, and perhaps it’s also the darkest one. When it comes to influences, I raise my hands regarding Z'ev and Young Gods, as I'm not very familiar with them, but it seems to me that there’s nothing from D.A.F. and Suicide at all. A nice record but only half successful, in my opinion, the Cranes feel more comfortable with traditional instruments.