 |
|
June 1992, Ink19 New Music Magazine
 |
|
Originality: a goal that only a few bands strive for and even fewer achieve...
Just when you were about to grudgingly accept the idea of recycled 70's music as a "positive" trend in today's music scene, along comes a band like the Cranes. Gone are any of the preconstructed guidelines and trendy music descriptions used to assist you in classifying a band. The only comparison available between the Cranes and another band, and it's a bit of a stretch, is a Julie Cruise/Cocteau Twins combination. Now there's a mix!
So, you now have this truly unique band whose music is becoming increasingly popular among college radio stations - what would any self-respecting music magazine do? Interview them!
Alison Shaw, the woman behind that ethereal mystic voice, has a special vocal power; a voice enabled with an airy darkness that can capture the listener's whole self and bring him on a magic heated waterbed ride through the deep hidden aspects of the human psyche... O.K., I got a little carried away, but really, the music forces introspection - the horror, the horror! To the point, the interview began like all interviews: a couple of stilted minutes of trying to determine the nature (kind or cruel) of the interviewee and, depending on the result, selecting the kind of questions she would permit. A kind of Johnny Lydon (cruel, in this case) litmus test.
The Cranes were formed in 1987, in and around that "salt-spray decayed town of Portsmouth, England." The group is composed of Alison Shaw on vocals and bass, her brother James Shaw on drums, piano and guitar, and guitarists Mark Francombe and Matt Cope. The early years of the Cranes were mainly devoted to writing and experimentation. "In the beginning we really didn't have much sense of what we wanted to do. [Writer's note: Try to envision her remarks spoken in a beautiful female English accent.] We were not aiming toward anything in particular; we just wanted to see what we could come up with." About the only thing the Cranes were sure of is that they wanted their music to be original. "We really enjoyed bands like Foetus, Einsturzende Neubauten, and the Young Gods. We were definitely inspired by their originality."
This experimentation and quest for something different eventually led to the present style the Cranes offer. The music caught on quickly and future success was only hampered by the band's initial lack of ambition. "Early on, we did not really put forth the effort needed to promote our music. Eventually we put the necessary work into it, and released Fuse and Self Non Self." John Peel, DJ guru of English radio, promptly began to play the Cranes and a couple of Peel Sessions later, the Cranes began to realize significant success.
Their latest album, Wings of Joy, continues and expands their musical degree of originality but still contains the emotional foundation of Self Non Self. "The album is emotional, with varying melodies that bring out different feelings. This really comes from the way we write the songs. We start out with some melodies we have put together and just start to play. The words sometimes just come out right there without anything written. "This method helps explain the uniqueness (the word "original" can be used only so many times) of both the lyrics and vocals Alison produces. When matched with James's dulcet compositions, Alison's voice almost becomes an instrument, a part of the music, not separate from it - hence the reference to Julie Cruise. "When we mix the music we found it better to mix the music and voice together. It seems to work better when the vocals come from behind a bit rather than right in front of your face." It was later that I was surprised to learn that the only effect Alison uses on her vocals is a little reverb. The end result, as previously stated many times, is music that affects and influences you.
The album's darkness prompted the obligatory "Why did you choose the title Wings of Joy?" Alison replied that "The title was meant to be slightly ironic. It is not an obviously happy album." This response immediately forced an image of a Cranes concert with the audience caught in a melancholy trance, immobile and in repose. Alison responded that they have played in a couple of seated venues where the crowd relaxed a bit but for the most part the fare was your typical rock concert hall. "In fact, in Scotland, the crowd really got physical and rowdy." Thos wacky Scots!
Whatever the effect, a Cranes concert would be something to see. Since this interview, the Cranes have garnered a much-coveted opening slot with the Cure, arguably one of the most successful current alternative bands. So perhaps, America will get its chance...
© Ink19 New Music Magazine, June 1992 |
|
|
|