 |
|
2002, MusicMatch: Making Noise
All or nothing. That's often the way it works for artists in our culture. Bands either catch on with a meteoric rise -- and sometimes meteoric fall -- or just never grab enough ears to make it worthwhile before the members go their separate ways. UK dream-pop outfit Cranes have lived pleasantly in that zone for fifteen years. It's a pretty incredible accomplishment, especially when you realize that they have developed loyal followings across two continents -- or perhaps that's part of the success. The Cranes core consists of brother and sister Jim and Alison Shaw out of Portsmouth, England. Jim is responsible for much of the production while Alison provides distinctly transcendent vocals. The pair started making music in 1987. Along with guitarist Mark Francombe and bassist Matt Cope, the collective saw their introspective dreaminess lumped in with the '90s fad genre known as shoegazer -- along with the likes Lush, Curve and even My Bloody Valentine. It's tough to find any shoegazers these days, but Cranes lived on.
The foursome recently released the optimistic album Future Songs, and are set to take a quick jaunt across North America on tour. Future Songs is a warm and bright record of sensual pop. On a dark day in London, we asked Alison Shaw about the contrast. "Always living in Northern Europe, it's like if I look out my window right now, it's cold, dark, wet and windy. In songwriting, it's nice to imagine the opposite sometimes," she says amusedly.
For this latest outing, Cranes flirted with a major label and the promotion opportunities it would bring. RCA offered the group a deal, but with one ultimately impossible proviso. Alison Shaw describes the affair generously, "To be fair to them, they were supportive of the group. They gave us the opportunity to record some songs. It was really that we didn't fit into the space that was there. They told us straight out that we were to record four songs, and they needed at least one of them to be something that they could really use for the more commercial sort of radio. A particular kind of song was required, and we just couldn't do it. We sort of knew what they wanted, but it just didn't feel natural to us. It made us feel a bit disillusioned about what we were doing. We thought, 'If it comes to the point where you've got to write music that you're not really into, then what's the point?' That's why we stopped. It wasn't RCA's fault."
So with a recording budget consisting roughly of inspiration, creativity and the spare change in their pockets, they recoded what was to become Future Songs. " It was quite tough to do it at first," says the chanteuse. "We didn't really have any budget for it. We were just recording at home in our own studio which is very basic -- pretty old equipment. Jim can have junky old equipment, but get the best out of it. He's really inventive in that respect. We eventually, gradually got the tracks together and built on them."
Sometimes the new technology doesn't always translate into a better experience. Alison agreed, "It's true that it's what you apply to it. You can have a fantastic studio and many hours to spend in it and still not come up with anything. Or, you can have a little box in the corner and do something good on it. It depends where you're at, I suppose."
With Future Songs, the result is remarkable, with spectral textures and an accomplished atmospheric feel related to -- but completely different than -- something from Portishead or Miranda Sex Garden. The disc is getting attention from U.S. college radio -- and MUSICMATCH Indie Rock radio for that matter, if you're curious -- which sets the stage for an upcoming Cranes journey across the ocean to a sunnier continent. "There's nothing like getting on the plane in England like it is now," says the singer again referring to the English rain, "and we get off on the other side and it's totally a different world. I like that."
"Touring in America has always been, for us, one of the things to look forward to. It's always like the best part of the touring period. [...] I think we feel really drawn to America, especially myself. It's been like four years since we last played in America," she continues.
When asked about her favorite place to play, the singer responded with an answer we've never heard before, "We've enjoyed playing New Mexico actually."
Reviewed by Mick Orlosky
© MusicMatch 2002
|
|
|