Title aside, what
the Cranberries
were doing wasn't that common at the time, at least in mainstream pop terms; grunge and G-funk had done their respective big splashes via
Nirvana
and
Dr. Dre
when
Everybody
came out first in the U.K. and then in America some months later. Lead guitarist
Noel Hogan
is in many ways the true center of the band at this point, co-writing all but three songs with
O'Riordan
and showing an amazing economy in his playing, and having longtime
Smiths
/
Morrissey
producer
Stephen Street
behind the boards meant that the right blend of projection and delicacy still held sway. One can tell he likes
Johnny Marr
and his ability to do the job just right: check out the quick strums and blasts on "Pretty" or the concluding part of the lovely "Waltzing Back."
herself offers up a number of romantic ponderings and considerations lyrically (as well as playing perfectly fine acoustic guitar), and her undisputed vocal ability suits the material perfectly. The two best cuts were the deserved smashes: "Dreams," a brisk, charging number combining low-key tension and full-on rock, and the melancholic, string-swept break-up song "Linger." If
is in the end a derivative pleasure -- and
's vocal acrobatics would never again be so relatively calm in comparison -- a pleasure it remains nonetheless, the work of a young band creating a fine little synthesis. ~ Ned Raggett