THE CRANBERRIES | In The End | Album Review

Last year saw a slew of successful bands lose key members to the hands of death. The Cranberries was one of the first of these and also one of the more tragic when lead singer Dolores O'Riordan was found unresponsive in January of last year. While the cause was not made clear, it was eventually found out that she perished from accidental drowning caused by alcohol intoxication. The news was a shock to many music fans but a year after her death, the surviving band members decided to carry on and release a new album in the form of the band's eighth album, "In The End". That's a fitting title to this album considering the fact that this is inevitably the band's final album. "In The End" is the product of a year and a half's work, when production began shortly after the release of their previous album "Something Else" with Dolores and fellow guitarist Noel Hogan demoing tracks back in May of 2017. All of the vocals were finished before Dolores' passing, and after support from her family the band finished the project late last year. Unlike other discs from this band, I don't feel like "In The End" should be compared to other albums as it's meant to be much more of a tribute to a fallen vocalist from the other band members. It certainly carries the style of soft alternative rock much like The Cranberries' other albums but due to obvious tragic circumstances there's obviously going to be some separation from other works. 

"All Over Now" and "The Pressure" were the first two singles released from the album and were the two singles I listened to before listening to the album in full. "All Over Now" in particular was released on the one-year anniversary of Dolores O'Riordan's death and is the introductory track to the eleven-track set. Both tracks fall in line with The Cranberries' soft alternative style even if this pair of songs are among the faster paced of the album. It's very hard to choose a standout among the two songs but "All Over Now" is the stronger track lyrically of the two. That's not to say that "The Pressure" isn't written well- that's not true at all- but "All Over Now" has more of a compelling story behind it of abuse and even though the song isn't as wordy, you can easily pick up on what the song is all about and what it's trying to get across. "The Pressure" is more along the same lines of being a little bit sparse lyrically, but the other released single is a little bit better. Musically, both tracks are excellent with mostly clean guitar driven instrumentals that deliver a lot of emotion to these songs and Dolores bringing a solid vocal performance to the table with her unique vocal style. What is even better though is that these two tracks are not the best songs on the album either. 

I just want to make it known that listening to this album from front to back is a very harrowing experience. Knowing that this is Dolores' last credited vocal performance and the last album overall under The Cranberries banner, there is a lot of emotion that goes on as you listen to the entire 43 minute runtime. Part of it has to do with the circumstances surrounding the album, and part of it has to do with the music itself, which ranges from standard fare from this band such as "Wake Me When It's Over", which feels like a cut off of "No Need To Argue", to more somber tracks like "Catch Me If You Can", "Illusion", and especially "Lost", to more reflective with tracks like "A Place I Know", which was the first written song for the album. Dolores O'Riordan sounds phenomenal on every track on this album vocally. I can't stress that point enough. Her voice fits so well with these instrumentals and it feels like she is at the top of her game, especially with the excellent vocal melodies on "Wake Me When It's Over", "Crazy Heart", and the title cut, or the emotive crooning that can be heard on the album's standout track, "Lost", which also works in some orchestral elements. The hooks work just as well on this album, notable examples being in many of the tracks listed. It is quite the album to close out on, as every element to this album is executed in an unbelievably flawless fashion. 

This isn't exactly a perfect album by any means as some tracks are better than others and a couple of flaws are present as you listen through this album. But these are barely even recognizable as every track on "In The End", even weaker ones, feel like they belong on the album. It's not just because it's an important disc in The Cranberries' tenure as a band or even emotions trampling any sort of objectivity when analyzing thoughts as looking at this album as a whole you can tell that everything is there. A tragedy like the one the remaining band members have faced for over a year can take a toll on the album the band is creating, especially if it feels like it was carelessly cobbled together. Sometimes it can be in poor taste and sometimes it can be rather unfortunate. "In The End" is an album that contains charm and consistency all around. For a band that is considered one of the most underrated of their time, this is a fitting final chapter and I'm glad they were able to end on a high note. Overall, "In The End" is recommended to every fan of the band and newcomers checking the band out for the first time. It might bring out a few tears, but in the end, the final outing by the alternative rock band is definitely worth any feelings felt during its playback. 

RATING: 9/10 

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