The Cranberries
Roses

THE REVIEW

Eleven years of break, children, solo careers, an album canceled in 2003. This is all it took to change the Cranberries, a significant Irish band in the '90s, from a great alternative rock group to an ordinary pop rock band. They seemed to have recovered in 2003, after "Wake Up And Smell The Coffee", with pleasant singles like "Stars" and "New New York" (still orphans), when, after a series of promotional tours, they decided to take yet another break. The break then took on the connotations of a coma, and as any doctor can confirm, when a coma persists for a long time, the damage is irreversible.

"Too young, too proud, too foolish" Dolores says in the first single from "Roses" "Tomorrow", but if they were too young in the '90s, a more appropriate title for this album would have been "too old". As expected, they waited too long to return and, in the meantime, music has changed, and they have found not inconsiderable difficulties in adapting. "Tomorrow" is not a bad track, but neither is it a great one like those from "No Need To Argue", and it completely contradicts what they have done: how can one say "tomorrow might be too late" when you delay an album for eleven years?

Eleven years and half the work already done, only served to produce ordinary pop rock tracks like "So Good" or "Losing My Mind" which in fact remain consistent with the policy of all the non-single tracks of the album, with a rhythmic and sweet verse, a somewhat over-the-top and excessively repetitive chorus. "Raining In My Heart", "Astral Projection", "Someday" and "In It Together" are tracks written in 2003, in an attempt to ride the wave again, and actually retain some of the charm of the old Cranberries songs, which in another context might have been more appreciated. "Show Me" curiously reminds of songs from Dolores's first solo album and, despite being a banal and repetitive track, manages to convey a certain energy. In my opinion, the tracks that alone make the album pleasant or at least distinctive are "Schizophrenic Playboy", "Waiting In Walthamstow", and "Roses". "Schizophrenic Playboy" was written in 2006 and is the perfect example of the goals the band should have aimed for in creating this album: a rock vein, Dolores's slightly edgy voice, and topics that perhaps deviate from the usual love drama. "Waiting In Walthamstow" can boast substantial string arrangements in a piece with a noir atmosphere, demonstrating that experimentation is not yet over. "Roses" is a song that presents nothing new in the Cranberries' style, but due to its lyrics and performance, it proves to be an inspired, sweet, and melancholy track. "Fire & Soul" is a song in which, for the first time, we clearly see Noel's style and not Dolores's, with a simple but catchy instrumental part, which could have been better enhanced by more creative lyrics. "Conduct" is the first track of the album, and while it may not be exceptional, it deserves praise for its position, as it provides a good introduction to the entire album in its 5 minutes and 10 seconds, in an album where songs on average slightly exceed 3 minutes. If you listen to the b-side, it seems they made sure to remove all the cheerful songs to hide them behind some singles.

In short, an album that is a bit contrived, designed for a comeback in the best possible way, perhaps not too successful. In my opinion, it is penalized by the fact that there are songs like "Zombie", "Linger", "Daffodil Lament" or "Cordell" which make this album incomparable to any of the first three, and maybe even the fourth. Perhaps in one or two years, a new "Zombie" will arrive, who knows, for now this is what we have. In conclusion, let's say that the Cranberries are intelligent, just not applying themselves.