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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
so close..., November 2, 2002
The Cranes have long been one of my all time favorite bands. Albums like "loved" and "winged of joy" are truely good albums, with Alison Shaws "little girl lost vocals" driving probably the best "shoegazer/goth" sounds around. If you have heard none of these albums, its kind of a Cocteau Twins meets Slowdive meets My Bloody valentine. There has been a long gap between albums, but the Cranes have continued to tour, and continue to entrall their cult and fanatical fan base ( check out their unofficial web site to get an idea).The last studio album , Population Four, was a disappointment, with a much more radio friendly and acessable sound. All in all it was very average as the very best points about the Cranes - eerie etheral vocals, wal of sound guitars, subtle yet pounding bass, were lost. This album is a road to recovery- it is far less radio friendly than "Population Four" but is still a long way removed from the earlier sounds.There are hints though- the first track "Future Sougs" is pure Classical Cranes. A standout track, while the rest still just does not rely heavily enough on the Cranes great strengths. This is still a very good album, gentle listener, but just does not have the punch of earlier days. If you are new to the Cranes, I recommend this AND "loved" to give you the full gamut. I look forward to the next installment with some anticipation. Recommended.
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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Return and a Metamorphosis, February 3, 2002
[Amazon should probably combine these reviews with those for the import version.] This album marks Jim Shaw's return to the production chair, to the relief of Cranes' fans. While I enjoyed the acoustic flavors and flawless sound engineering behind Population Four, I think everyone had to admit it lacked the production and symphonic tapestries of their previous works. Like Pop 4, Future Songs does not obscure the vocals into the sound field, nor do any of the lyrics appear to be in a foreign language, as "Adoration" seemed. For some reason, I'm most impressed with the first and last songs of the album, which are both less experimental than the other tracks. Yet those others show an intriguing new direction for the band. Some of Jim's production is very reminiscent of the electronics behind Depeche Mode's newest, "Exciter". No doubt some of the same Pro Tools samples and processing were used. The subtle layering also shows off the band's return to that deep soundstage fans have grown so fond of. The mixing and mastering strikes me as superbly neutral, but also rather unforgiving of wall reflections. So, it will definitely sound best in a treated room or with nearfield speakers positioned in the center of the listening space. The mastering enginneer, Sean Magee at Abbey Road, is one of my all time favorite pros out there. He also did Radiohead's OK Computer (Listen to the midrange on Paranoid Android). Future Songs still isn't quite a total return to the Forever and Loved days, but it's an enticing path Cranes are heading down. I don't know about you, but I'm eager to hear their next one.
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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
don't wake me up, October 4, 2003
I have always wanted to check out Cranes' music for awhile now. I was intrigued by an interview with the brother/sister act in an issue of OUTBURN from last year. I came across "Future Songs" today in the used bins and thought this was a good time for me to check them out. The second I put this cd into my stereo I must admit that I was a bit put off by the childlike vocals of Ali Shaw. She reminded me a bit of Mazzy Star's Hope Sandoval. In fact this entire cd reminded me a lot of Mazzy Star, The Jesus and Mary Chain, and a smidgeon of The Cocteau Twins. After I listened more into the cd, Ali's vocals became less and less grating on me. I became more accustomed to her child-like vocals. The music was a bit more mellower than I expected which for me can be a slight problem since I like my music loud and fast. Nevertheless I found the Cranes' music very relaxing to listen. I particularly enjoyed songs such as "Sunrise" and "The Maker of Heavenly Trousers" (which I thought was the stand out track for me on the entire album). I don't know if the bonus remixes were that necessary to include on the album. To be honest, the remix for "Don't Wake Me Up" didn't sound any more different than the original version. For all its flaws, I immensely enjoyed "Future Songs". I found the music to be very soothing to listen to, and it will especially be very soothing to listen to after a hard day's work at the office.
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