The Cranberries

Oh, Delores O'Riordan. I wouldn't disagree with you. We should all see life as fun and take it if we can. I can't believe it's been almost twenty dang years. After a decade's hiatus, The Cranberries are back with another album, Roses. It looks like all of the original members are back, after spending the 2000s pursuing solo projects and working with other bands. It always makes me happy when an original line-up is back. As much as I loved some of The Pretenders later songs, it still made me kind of sad to know that the original people weren't playing the instruments (though it wouldn't have been right at all without Chrissie Hynde). In this case, though, all four members are back. I loved hearing Delores O'Riordan sing the effin' hell out of "Ode to My Family" in their recent NPR Tiny Desk Concert. I was going to use the actual word with an asterisk instead of the vowel, but it didn't feel right when referring to such a lovely song about her family, so I didnt.

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You can listed to a free sampler of the new album via Spotify.

Disco Inferno, "Second Language"

Disco Inferno, "Second Language"

The article on the KEXP page refers to them as being part of the same genre as Joy Division, which is apt, but really I hear more of a likeness to The The and The Communards (and by extension Bronski Beat). My mind also recognizes a kinship to Shoegaze, but of course I tend to go into a trance when I think of Shoegaze, so I can't be sure. A band should be judged only against itself, though. "Second Language" is languid, rich and melodic. It's an example of the best of the unselfconscious 80's and 90's.

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