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February 1997, CMJ Online
After only a six-month break from their last project, La Tragédie D'Oreste Et Électre, Cranes are headed toward musical mastery with their latest release, Population Four. Guitarist Matt Cope's departure from the band prompted Jim Shaw to move over to guitar, and the band added Parisian percussionist Manu Ros on drums. The Cranes have produced their most impressive work to date, including all of the emotional resonance and grandiose sound that fans have come to expect. Album opener "Tangled Up," presents Cranes in their most primal state, as acoustic guitar joins Alison Shaw's unearthly sigh-like singing; while her child-like vocals enchant the innocence in your heart, the seasoned tone of the lyrics speaks to your consciousness: "Lovely as the wind, it takes my breath and breathes it in/Oh no, not again, did you really fuck me up again?/It seems so close this time, got tangled up and caught inside." The simple production style compliments the guitar frenzy on "To Be" and the Britpop harmonies on "Can't Get Free," letting the music breathe without too many overdubs interfering with its reception. Each song here is brilliantly sharp, but one highlight is "Fourteen," which consists of meowing vocal squeals, poignant guitars and an explosive chorus. With Population Four, Cranes venture into existential elegance, adding a new dimension to their ethereal artistry.
Reviewed by Brenda Linguiti
© CMJ Online 1997
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