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To the Faithfully Departed

Artist: Cranberries
Genre: Alternative
Year: 1996
Rating: 7.5 / 10

The third major release from the Cranberries, To the Faithfully Departed, features more of the band's traditional radio-friendly hits, and adds a consistency that is somewhat missing on the previous two albums. The consistency Faithfully brings, echoing from the first track to the very last, is the something extra that makes this my favorite Cranberries album yet.

One would be hard-pressed to find an album which opens as strongly as To the Faithfully Departed does, bombasting the listener with a harder sound from the get-go. "Hollywood," the first track on the album, brings a driving beat reminiscient of Cranberries classic "Zombie," and this pace is continued as the album drifts into "Salvation," the initial radio venture from this album. But the promise that these songs only hint at is delivered upon with "Free to Decide" and "Yellow Skies," two upbeat, heart-pounding melodies that force you to feel the energy of the band.

Traditional Cranberries lovers, who tend to favor such songs as "Linger" and "Dreams," need not despair, for the band has not abandoned mellower fare. It just so happens that the best tracks on this album tend to be more in the manner of No Need to Argue, the band's second album, then Everybody Else Is Doing It So Why Can't We, the Cranberries' debut. "War Child" carries a somber tune in between some of the peppier rock anthems, yet its message cannot be lost on the listener. The same can be said for closing track "Bosnia," an ode to the war-ravaged land.

The band has never sounded better, specifically lead singer Dolores O'Riordan, whose voice shines on tracks such as "Electric Blue" and "I Just Shot John Lennon," two more Faithfully tunes. This latest album offers something to the new and old Cranberries fan alike, with only one setback. This significantly raises the expectations for their next release!

Submitted 6/10/98.