Album Review: Roses

B

After a ten year hiatus, Irish rock band The Cranberries are back with their sixth studio album, Roses. If you are a fan of the musical style of The Cranberries, which is a mash up of indie rock, pop rock and Irish folk music, then this album is a must have for you.

Show Me The Way is the first single released off the album and the song which brings the band back into the industry following the long break. It won’t blow you away but it is catchy and radio friendly. If you’re anything like me and a sucker for a rock song with a violin, you will find it hard to fault the song. It sets up a nice premise for the rest of the album and, as far as comeback songs go, this ticks all the boxes.

Tomorrow was the second song released from the album, and while it is as catchy as Show Me The Way, it pushes an important message of moving on through life. Lead singer of The Cranberries, Dolores O'Riordan, had this to say about the track said the track is about how we over-escalate small things in our minds, but at the end of the day these things are small and foolish, and we have to move on. It makes you wonder if The Cranberries are talking about moving on from their earlier roots or their ten year hiatus. Either way, the message combined with the tune makes a great song, and I would say it is my favourite off the album.

O’Riordan has always been praised for her haunting voice with the Irish twang, and it is evident throughout the whole album. She raises and lowers her tempo through songs such as Fire and Soul and Losing My Mind, and draws you into going on a journey with her captivating, beautiful voice for the whole album. The song Schizophrenic Playboys is definitely worth checking out, if not for the good rock track, then purely because of the name. The final track on the album is Roses, and rounds off the comeback album nicely.

If you wanted something hard hitting and powerful like the 1994 smash hit, Zombie, you’re out of luck. The Cranberries have returned with music which is radio friendly, pop rock style. I would have been happy if only a few tracks were like this, but with the whole album sounding pop rock, you feel a bit left down. Even the tunes which start off sounding more Irish folk eventually turn back to the pop rock tune by the chorus. If it wasn’t for O’Riordan’s unique voice, it would be hard to differentiate a chart topping band with some of the other fluff which is hanging around charts. While Roses should hold their place in music industry, I hope, The Cranberries will pursue something a little more powerful for their next project.