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| US cover |
release date: Oct. 21, 2001
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,58]
producer: Stephen Street
label: MCA Records - nationality: Ireland
Track highlights: 1. "Never Grow Old" - 2. "Analyse" (4 / 5) - 3. "Time Is Ticking Out" - 5. "This Is the Day" - 6. "The Concept" - 7. "Wake Up and Smell the Coffee" - 9. "I Really Hope" - *14 "Cape Town"
*Bonus track on US issue
5th studio album by The Cranberries is the band's first and only issued on MCA Records, and it's a welcomed return to initial producer Stephen Street. With Benedict Fenner the band had produced the predecessor Bury the Hatchet from 1999, which marked a bit of a return to their original sound and with this new one, they have in a way continued that tour towards their former best moments that are found on the band's first two albums.
Street is the secure and also the right choice for this band. As he was an important part in the stylistic changes with The Smiths, he seems like the gathering figure, who knows the band's strengths - and perhaps even better than the band members themselves. There's a fine balance of energetic rock, spacious keyboard- / synths-founded dream pop and the more guitar-based jangle pop, all of which has to make room for O'Riordans introspective ballads. I think, Fenner also handled that part well on the '99 album, but on To the Faithful Departed from '96, Bruce Fairbairn proved the difficult project as he didn't suffice to adjust the chemistry to ensure a successful balance.
Dolores O'Riordan has taken an even stronger role as primary songwriter on this new studio release. On the band's previous albums most songs were written and composed in a collaboration work with guitarist Noel Hogan - she would then write 3-4 songs entirely on her own and the remaining songs would have lyrics by O'Riordan and music by Hogan. Here, it's basically the reversed way: 5 songs together with Hogan and 8 songs on her own, i.e. on the standard 13 tracks album. Musically, it doesn't shine through at all, but in retrospect it may perhaps indicate what would happen in the near future, as the band would embark on its longest hiatus with O'Riordan, Hogan and Lawler will all dedicate precious time on other projects, which includes two full solo albums by O'Riordan.
Wake Up and Smell the Coffee may be the most overlooked album by The Cranberries, and personally, I think of it as somewhere between the '96 and the '99 album - it's nor their best, nor their worst and is worth more than just a glance.
The front cover is made by Storm Thorgerson and Peter Curzon at Hipgnosis, who also made the cover for Bury the Hatchet.
[ allmusic.com, Slant, Q Magazine 3 / 5, Blender 4 / 5 stars ]
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| original cover |
