Bury the Hatchet [Limited Edition] - The Cranberries

The Cranberries stumbled with their third record, To the Faithful Departed, as their move toward louder, heavier, politically fueled modern rock lost them fans enamored with their polished, streamlined Smiths/Sundays hybrid. Like many groups that see their stardom fading, the band decided to return after a short hiatus with a carefully considered, mildly updated and immaculately constructed distillation of everything that earned them an audience in the first place. Which is exactly what Bury the Hatchet is, even though the Floydian cover art suggests otherwise. It's apparent from the opening track "Animal Instinct" that the Cranberries have retreated from the ludicrous posturing that marred To the Faithful, and as Bury the Hatchet plays on, it becomes clear that the shift in sound was a clear tactical measure. There are no blasts of distorted guitar -- as a matter of fact, there are no songs that even qualify as a "rocker." There is little preaching, even on Dolores O'Riordan's most earnest songs. Every note and gesture on the album is pitched at the adult-alternative mainstream, which is a good thing. Though they ran away from the dreamy jangle of their first hits, "Linger" and "Dreams," they've never sounded more convincing than when they're strumming midtempo, folky pop tunes with polished productions. Sonically, that's precisely what Bury the Hatchet delivers, complete with little flourishes -- a Bacharachian horn chart there, cinematic strings there -- to illustrate that the band does indeed know what's hip in the late '90s. All this planning -- some might call it calculation -- shouldn't come as a surprise, since Bury the Hatchet is a essentially a make-or-break album for the band, but what is a surprise is that the end result is the most consistent record of their career. It's not necessarily their best -- it lacks singles as immediate as those that graced their first two records -- but all the songs work together on Bury the Hatchet to form a whole; not even embarrassments like the skittering "Copycat" interrupt the flow of the record. True, the album never challenges listeners, but it delivers on their expectations -- and after To the Faithful Departed, that comes as a relief. [Bury the Hatchet is also available in an import release.] ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide