Customer Reviews

Cranes

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

You aren't too deep into this album before you can hear the production values on this CD are quite a bit better than what has gone before. There are a couple of top drawer selections on here. I own and enjoy most of the Cranes' output and any fan will be pleased. The only caveat is this CD is very short in length, shorter than 40 minutes, or imagine, in width, comparable to that of Thumbelina's ring finger, but we take what we can get.

Basically, you upload this album to your selected portable music device and wander around deserted urban spaces at night. The Cranes have always been masters of working with an economy of means; here, they make electronic music that is simple without being simplistic. This is mood music that manages to transcend the cliches of 'down-tempo' and 'chill'; the overall effect is similar to watching small bright lights winking on and off in a cold nocturnal cityscape.

Another masterpiece from Cranes. Cranes make the full transition began on their last album "Particles & Waves" into mellow ambiant electronica. I wasn't sure i liked the way they were headig with their last album although it is good it is not as fully realized and the songwriting not as good as this. This is rumored to be their final album and if so it is fine swang song.

The Cranes are my all time favorite band and this release measures up. I should say I was incredibly dissappointed and annoyed at "Future Songs" In general I have no respect or appreciation of electronica....That said, I was much relieved with this album, although it is at times annoying in it's electronic tapestry, an introspective etherial atmosphere is generated and somehow alludes to their earliest most jarring music. I don't know if a casual listener would even pick it up, but some of these borderline lullabies are deeply cathartic, disturbing beautiful and inspiring. I kind of feel like they're pulling a Houdini...I'm baffled that I like this as much as I do. "Wonderful Things" in particular I find astounding, It's a quiet song with very little dynamic range and no percussion, it's all soft sounds, and Allison is singing soothingly and maternally close, yet somehow this comes across to me like some of their most epic, disturbing and percussive songs from "Wings of Joy" I hear the rage, the sorrow, the fury and the frenzy...I can hear where the Thunderous drum shuffles should be... I wonder if I'm the only one who hears this....Collecting stones is very simular in that reguard, and in itself is minimalistically georgeous, there's so much yearning in Allison's voice, and would fit nicely on any of their releases. "Move Along" is another percussionless one that seems like an odd throw back, it's pretty mellow with goofy electric "fairy soap bubble" sounds, yet it has a weird slow dynamic build reminicent of "adrift" which intead of culmunating in a crescendo of percussion and strings, does it with one note completing a complex digital progression.....Houdini indeed! While I would've prefered hearing these songs with traditional instruments, it's still quite satisfying to this long time fan. It feels very familiar yet in a genre I don't participate in...I've heard this will be the last release from the Cranes, I hope it's not true, but I do feel they've redeemed themselves and have earned my appreciation as my all time favorite band.

I'll add here that the Cranes are performing this month in Ireland, and have made some tentative plans to tour the US, so we can still hope for more.

As for this CD, I'll just say that the music is wonderful, but locked firmly in the studio, far from the shoegazer flourishes of Forever. One thing that strikes me is how great Alison sounds, her voice is very clear and strong here. For the uninitiated who happen to hear this (hah), that will sound very strange, but within the context of who she is and how she sings, this is one of her finest outings, perhaps her best.

One star down for being short, but otherwise very welcome.