The Cranberries
To The Faithful Departed

THE REVIEW

After the very promising debut of 1993, "Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We?" and the masterpiece "No Need To Argue" of 1994, the third studio work of the Irish quartet arrives in 1996. After the success of "Zombie" and "Ode To My Family", it was hard to reaffirm themselves on the music scene, yet two years later this album comes out, which, although not replicating the extraordinary success and beauty of its predecessor, comes close to it, with continuous changes of pace within the album that make it as varied as it is extremely enjoyable.

"Hollywood," the opening track of the album, could be the "Zombie" of this album, if it weren't for the inferior grit that the chorus carries compared to the latter. The structure, however, is almost the same. With "Salvation," you witness one of the most driven tracks the Cranberries have ever created, edging on punk-rock. The duration (2'24") proves it. Worth highlighting is the structure of the text, in which the band decisively takes a stand against drugs.
The classic O'Riordan-style love song is found in "When you're gone," with a foundation that recalls a certain "Ode To My Family"... In short, the two most successful tracks of the band were taken as a model by the group itself, in an attempt to replicate their success. This is perhaps the only truly pop track that can be found among the 13 present here.
The best episode of the album is found in a track of rare beauty, which significantly diverges from the sound that had characterized the Irish group, and this is "War Child." Just under 4 minutes against war that immediately get inside, the magnificent voice of Dolores slightly echoes Enya and the foundation has a significantly classical feel that is nothing short of chilling. The talent of the band here is truly at its peak, as perhaps had never happened for the Cranberries.
Going forward, the sheen and grit of the first 5-6 tracks start to wane. "I Just Shot John Lennon" is perhaps the only noteworthy episode among the last in the lineup. In fact, listening to "Electric Blue" and "Will You Remember?" it is noticeable how the creativity has diminished in the final part of the album. Indeed, there is a certain similarity with the first tracks of the CD.

This album as a whole is truly a good work, worthy of the band's fame. The four have moved very little from the sound that characterized them... here there is a good mix of gritty tracks and slightly more seductive ones, without ever falling into banality. This represents the album from which a descending trajectory began, which stopped only in 2004, with the disbandment of the group. The former "frontgirl" Dolores O'Riordan decided to embark on a solo career. We will see if she will still manage to delight the audience with her magnificent voice, as she did with her three Irish colleagues.