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Week 35:
The Cranberries
Artist Introduction
THE CRANBERRIES, my second favorite band coming from Ireland, are a solid alt rock/pop band, formed in 1989 and musically active until the death of lead singer Dolores O’Riordon in 2018. While guitarist Noel Hogan, bassist Mike Hogan, and drummer Fergal Lawler are fine musicians, the star of this band is undoubtedly the unmistakeable voice of O’Riordon. Because truly, she is the major talent that catapulted THE CRANBERRIES to great heights, eventually selling over 50 million albums. Her music and lyrics are the main source of almost all the bands songs. When Dolores, age 18, walked into an audition, the band recognized the winner they had. If you get a chance, read about their first meeting, it’s a fun story. A week after auditioning, Dolores changed slightly the music to a song given to her at audition from the band and had written lyrics for it. That song, Linger, was the end result, and from there THE CRANBERRIES were suddenly a hit. There is so much to write about with this band, but I’ll let the music and lyrics and the incredible vocals do the talking. For your entertainment, I give you THE CRANBERRIES.
Dad Cascella
Most Popular
Zombie
Off the second album, No Need To Argue, Zombie is definitely the biggest hit and most well known song for the band. It’s a monster anthem song, sung loudly in bars, sporting events, weddings, etc. Described as a political song, Dolores wrote Zombie as a heavy song because it needed to be angry. With power chords accompanying sweet interludes, she sings it incredibly emotional and raw. She describes it as an anti-violence song, and she says so much in the songs few lyrics. Written after being in London near a location where the Irish Republican Army had set off bombs, killing 2 small children, “A child is slowly taken”. Dolores saw the moral ambiguity of being Irish and the destructiveness of The Troubles conflict. “It’s not me, it’s not my family” and “It’s the same old theme, since 1916”. Similar in concept to U2’s Sunday Bloody Sunday, it’s an extremely powerful rock song and some of O’Riordon’s best singing, with repeated changes in vocal styles throughout. This is probably as rocking as this band gets.
Linger
Off the 1st album, Everybody Else Is Doing It, Why Can’t We, this was THE CRANBERRIES first major hit and probably my second favorite (but it had to go in most popular category). It’s a beautiful, haunting song with the band playing excellent rhythm accompanied by orchestration. Soft, lilting dreamy music and vocals. Lyrics of a bittersweet first love and rejection, again you can really feel Dolores’ emotions. And I love the use of overdubbing her own voice throughout. She wrote these lyrics when she first joined the band at age 18. And the acoustic versions are even better.
Dreams
Also off the first album, Dreams is a faster paced, uptempo rock/pop song with good guitar work and loud drums. Opens with Dolores singing sweetly falsetto and again making great use of overdubbing her own voice. We also get an extensive listen, especially at the end, of Dolores’ use of yodeling (how unusual in a rock song). The middle section of the song hooks me in. Lyrics about first falling in love and its euphoric feel. Good song, fun listen.
Personal Favorites
Ode To My Family
Also off the second album, this easy, beautiful song has always been my favorite from the band. A song written about wishing for a peaceful, simple life outside of stardom, it was written by Dolores after the death of her father. Feeling homesick and missing her children, her singing is as raw and emotional as it gets. With strings attached, the music is absolutely simple, beautiful, understated, and performed perfectly by the band, with as good an arrangement as done by the band. Past interviews stated she had a tough time performing this song in concert because of its emotional impact. Yes Dolores, “Does anyone care”, we do. If this song doesn’t move you, you have no soul.
When You're Gone
Off the third album, To The Faithful Departed, this song could have gone into the unique category. A 1950’s doo-wop sounding simple song resonates greatly with me. Maybe it’s the reminiscing of an easy listen to musics simplicity. Maybe it’s Dolores’ Doo-Be-Da vocals. Maybe it’s knowing the fact that this song was played at the end of Dolores’ funeral. Or maybe, just maybe, I really like watching the band play this simple song live in concert, with Dolores standing front stage, with electric guitar strapped, belting it out. A sorrowful song about missing and the loss of loved ones. Yup, this one works for me.
Salvation
Again off the third album, this was a rare #1 hit for the band. While it’s fast and has upbeat music, it’s a life lesson song, delivered by Dolores, using lyrics of an anti-drug use message. Dolores stated it’s real meaning is that realizing reality is what it is, there’s no use trying to change it. A very short, popish song with few lyrics, I like the horns and loud drums throughout. To me, it also almost has a Ramones feel.
Unique Songs
Warchild
Again off the third album, Dolores actually originally wrote this song in 10 minutes backstage at a benefit concert for Bosnia and performed an acoustic version of it at the concert. Dolores hated the violence of war, no matter where, and its effects on children trapped and suffering in war zones. This soft, slow song, with excellent use of orchestration, reflects these sentiments. And again, her emotional singing is quite powerful. Some of her best lyrics, the verses tell a simple but powerful tale. The choruses are emotional and some of her best singing.
Promises
Off the 4th album, Bury The Hatchet. With a mystical, airy opening, leading into a heavier rock sound and rhythm, the song features generic guitar power chords. A song about seperation and divorce. Funny thing is that Dolores had been married for about 5 years when she wrote this, and she wouldn’t get divorced for another 10 years. This is about as rockish as this band gets. It’s an ok song.
Daffodil Lament
Off the second album, it’s about the longest song in the bands catalogue. The whole song is very contradictory, partly happy “lovely daffodils” and partly solemn “so lonely” and “would you not be holding if I left you”. Opening with slow guitar picking and distortions, the song has great structure and changes throughout. At 2:05 we get a bigger production sound, different than its normal sound. At 3:05 we get a “YES”-like dream sequence and then a totally different sound from previous in the song, with back to happiness. I read that this song is partly about relationships not going anywhere, or happiness of being on one’s own, or even suicide. I couldn’t figure it out. While it’s definitely Dolores’ sound, I do very much like the different inflections in her vocals in this simple song.
Conclusions
As stated earlier, while they are called THE CRANBERRIES, Dolores O’Riordon is the star in this review. Before her death, THE CRANBERRIES released 7 studio albums. Dolores was the main lyricist and co-writer of most of the music. She played electric and acoustic guitar, was an accomplished pianist, and also played accordion on some tracks. But it’s her voice, her unmistakable vocals, that separate her from others. Multiple descriptions of her voice include traditional Gaelic, yodeling, Gregorian-styled chants, and Irish accented brogue. However you describe it, Her incredible control of vocal inflections and runs are uniquely powerful and dominate this music. As for accolades and awards, there are too many to describe, but one that stands out is that in 2018 she was named Billboards Alternative Music Top Female Artist of All Time. Many Cranberries songs were re-recorded acoustically. Watching these and live performances, you really get a better understanding how absolutely talented and unique Dolores was. And her charity work, especially for childrens causes in war zone areas, shows her kindness and empathy. Sadly, Dolores suffered from Bipolar Disorder and Depression for most of her life. Alcohol was her vice and subsequent destruction. She died in 2018 after she drowned in hotel bathtub due to alcohol intoxication. She left behind three children. An absolute tragedy. I give THE CRANBERRIES an 8.4
Cascella Family Reviews
Vin Cascella
I’ve always been a fan of The Cranberries and I know half the songs on this list, so I’m looking forward to learning a bit more, especially the unique section. I don’t know much of the band outside of Dolores O'Riordan, so I’ll take a look into the rest of the band as well. Outside of American and English acts, the Irish have had strong representation in the Cascella Music Club. 35 weeks and 3 Irish bands, pretty impressive, but I think the well is beginning to run dry on the big Irish acts. Not much more to say, let’s get into one of the greatest songs of the 90s.
Zombie: This is just a great grungey rock song. It’s got a great combination of everything and Dolores’ voice pairs so well with the raw distorted guitars and of course the overall message of the song. Heavier than almost their catalogue, that would be a fun little conversation. Which bands are known for a song that does not represent their body of music at all. Following an IRA bomb attack that killed two children in 1993 this song is a direct response to the endless cycle of violence that has taken place through Ireland’s history, even referencing the 1916 Easter Rising which has been a subject of multiple songs from the other Irish acts we’ve highlighted already. Strong lyrics, on top of depressing instrumentals, and an insanely powerful voice. Not really sure how this song became such a popular sing-a-long and karaoke track but as long as it continues to stay relevant I am happy.
Linger: Another hit song. First the lyrics, a young first-heart-break song (take notes Olivia Rodrigo!) about her first real kiss at a club followed by the devastation of that boy walking past her to dance with her friend. Paraphrasing, Dolores says about the song that it was just a kiss, but at that age was heartbreaking. Fair game, I’d say that it's the relatability of this song that made it so popular but I never knew that’s what this song was about and I’ve loved it for decades. Just a really solid ballad with an awesome string section and again a unique voice that ties it together really well.
Dreams: I was going to mention it in the last song but since this song shares the name, now would be a good time to mention it. The last two songs really remind me of Fleetwood Mac. Shimmering instrumentals and vocals that also have a rock edge that separates them from other pop rock acts. The instrumentals along with Dolores’ ethereal vocals elevate this ballad from just another 90s alt-pop track into something special. Like all the tracks so far and a few of the latter in this listing, there is so much emotion in the voice and lyrics. It’s a level of a emotion that reminds me of another fantastic 90s ballad, Mazzy Star’s “Fade Into You”. I will mention the live version of that song as often as humanly possible. But yea great rock ballad with more prominent instrumentals than you would expect, lots of drum fills, and a strong bassline. Lyrics a more mature version of Linger.
Ode To My Family: Another really solid lyrical song sung with such emotion. The string arrangement also really drives home the melancholic nostalgia of this song. A classic rockstar tale of being lonely while on the road and the struggles of international fame, with a slight twist of reminiscing the times of being a child when life was simple. This is the song where I really dove into the history of the band and more specifically Dolores. Realistically she was the driving force of The Cranberries and although this song implies that life was simpler as a child, her formative years were anything but easy. One of nine in a devout Roman Catholic family, Dolores was sexually abused by a family friend from the ages of 8 to 12. Her entire childhood was spent singing, playing instruments and writing music. At the age of 18 she ran away from home to pursue her music career. Although her family encouraged her music inclinations they encouraged her to become a nun or music teacher while she had greater ambitions. Now I obviously can’t speak for her, but becoming a rockstar in a relatively short time mixed with childhood traumas, and a strong religious upbringing must have put an immense amount of pressure on her. Throughout her adult life Dolores struggled with depression, self loathing, suicidal ideations, alcholism, and anorexia. Although I’m sure all of this helped shape much of the music the Cranberries released, it's also the tragic reality of her life. I know this was mentioned in other reviews but her tragic passing at the age of 46 is just an awful culmination of so many factors. Her legacy will live on but reading about her life throughout this review really hit hard. With all of that being said, I’m going to try to get back into a musical review headspace for the remainder of this selection. 4/4 on truly incredible songs.
When You’re Gone: Well I was trying to separate the emotional from the music but this is the song that played at the end of Dolores’ funeral. So we’re back into the emotional wreck. I was going to compare The Cranberries to Kacey Musgraves in the sense that they really excel at the lyricism but I did notice one major difference between the two. You see it in Ode to My Family, Daffodil Lament, and this track. While Kacey uses tons of word-play in her writing the Cranberries rely on a simple is more approach. Some of their most emotional tracks are relatively short on lyrics.This song barely has two verses and a repeated chorus, yet it hits like a ton of bricks. I like this song but I think it drags just a little bit. Might be because it’s been 4 ballads in a row. Still a solid song.
Salvation: This one could easily sit in the unique section. A punk rock almost Ska sounding track with the addition of horns. Lyrically it doesn’t get more blunt than this. You could do drugs, but don’t. Drugs are bad, mkayyyy. Surprisingly this wasn’t the official song of the D.A.R.E program as this was pretty much their exact message. I mean sure, I guess it contrasts a lot of the drug glorification of the grunge era but outside of that it’s not their best work. This band has tons of nuance and this song completely lacks that. Fun little rocker though.
Warchild: The ballad follow-up to the likes of Zombie. Another protest song against the suffering of children caught in wars of political pride. This song was the result of Dolores being asked to write a song for the War Child organization along with news coverage of the Bosnian War but the message could be said about just about any political conflict of the past and today. According to Dolores the song took about 10 minutes to write. Makes sense, the song is pretty straightforward, not as blunt as Salvation but it’s pretty hard to misinterpret this one. I do like the sentiment that in war everyone is the loser. Fine song, the instrumental production sounds like something that could be in a high budget TV special. Is that a good or a bad thing? Feels generic, so I guess a bad thing?
Promises: Eh, can’t win them all. The song is fine but compared to some of their bigger tracks this one just falls short. The Cranberries really hit their stride when they carve out their own space in the Alternative Rock scene. This could have been released by pretty much anyone else in that post-grunge scene. Lyrically it is kind of cool that she talks about the end of a relationship and divorce coming from such a religious background but it’s not enough to save this song. Also! Can no one else in the band sing at all? The swooping vocals into the chorus and the background melodies need a different sound and it's just her voice overdubbed. The bassist can’t give us a couple Oh Ohsss?
Daffodil Lament: And we’re back! Doing a ton with limited lyrics! A song of a broken relationship that talks of the pain in the first half and breaking away in the second. I really like the build in the first half followed by the slow bass section for almost a minute before it kicks back in. It really lets the song breathe. Musically the song kind of reminds me of Uninvited by Alanis Morrissette. It’s a bit theatrical but in a good way. Even the extended outro that musically continues into Electric Blue (a happier follow up-song) on a different album. A solid ending to this selection.
I’m glad the Cranberries were selected for this club. I have a greater appreciation for a lot of their music, especially the hits that I already knew. I never realized how strong of a lyricist Dolores was and her delivery is a generational talent. I said I was going to discuss the rest of the band a little more but I think I wrote enough and honestly nothing in this selection made me want to dive further (Fergal is the most Irish name imaginable). The music as a whole really fits the band perfectly but there are rarely any standout instrumentals. Now for my final review. The first four songs of this list are fantastic, one of the best runs in this entire group. Even When You’re Gone is pretty great. I do think there’s a pretty significant drop off until Daffodil Lament, not that those other songs are bad but I think if they were the band’s main sound they never would have made it to the heights that they did. Tough to grade but I think the generational talent of Dolores O'Riordan needs to be acknowledged and respected. 8.2
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