Album Review: The Cranberries – Something Else
2 min read
If there’s a way to make a mark with new and old fans then The Cranberries have undoubtedly set the benchmark in 2017. Nearly 25 years after they released their debut album to the world, comes Something Else – an acoustic over-brushing both pertinent and rich. Featuring select hits from their back catalogue and a few new treasures, you can expect a new experience from their most cherished and beautifully crafted song gems.
When You’re Gone receives an up-tempo lift with a bonus string section weaving around Dolores’ signature folky vocal rawness, before one of their most recognised anthems get’s a do-over. Zombie begs the listener to take in the messages of violence and peace between Ireland and England, made all the easier with this sombre reworking that pushes the track into a heart crunching experience.
The record also features three new tracks by the Limerick band such as Rupture – a buoyant vibrancy that connects sadness and beauty with the help of the Irish Chamber Orchestra. Another favourite off their debut record, Dreams, follows the acoustic mind in a touching four and a half minute spin on a classic. O’Riordan’s effortless vocal weavings illustrate the unmatched singing skill even nearly a quarter of a century since Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can’t We? was given to the world in 1993.
Most notable off the album though is the seminal love ballad Linger. Upon first listen to the acoustic version, emotions of overwhelming beauty run through the mind, almost as if this is how the song was first meant to be experienced. The string section throws the passion in an intoxicating whirl both joyous and poignant. Dolores’ vocal tweaks in this version harbour a respectful maturity and loving modern correspondence – a classic song with gentle contemporary fusion.
The record is a tender reminder to fans both past and present that The Cranberries, though a household name at this point, can still surprise and make us feel new things with songs that have and continue to remain timeless in our ears and in our hearts.
