The Cranberries | Roses

Downtown (2012)

By MICHAEL CHRISTOPHER | March 13, 2012

2.5 Stars

As a gift, roses are generic. They don't require much thought, are widely available, and show little effort other than acknowledging a Hallmark holiday or admitting to a fuck-up. It's fitting, then, that this would be the title of the Cranberries' first effort in more than a decade. People who like the Irish act "Zombie"-style should stick with No Need To Argue. This affair is strictly for those who "Linger." There's zero heaviness, and nothing wrong with that: an album of hushed tones simmering with restraint can be brilliant — if there is lyrical substance. Frontwoman Dolores O'Riordan is in fine "moon in June" form; check out the middle-school prose of "It's raining in my heart/Every time we are apart" (from . . . "Raining in My Heart"). Tracks like "Conduct" and "So Good" show promise, mainly because they recall the earliest days of the Berries' juicy offerings. But the bulk of Roses is like a spring day in the first week of May — not exactly shocking, but sunny and warm. Aside from the lyrical felonies, this is the perfect music to take a nap to on one of those afternoons.

Topics: CD Reviews , Downtown, Dolores O'Riordan, Irish, More

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