Bury The Hatchet [Explicit Cover]
On the heels of their smash debut, the brilliantly titledEverybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We?, and the even more popular follow-up,No Need to Argue, the Cranberries fell victim to the same bad instincts as a thousand ascendant pop stars before them--they started taking themselves way too seriously. The dreary, self-importantTo the Faithful Departedwas the result, and fans that had thrilled to the gossamer melodies of "Linger" and "Dreams" or the powerful crunch of "Zombie" abandoned the group in droves. They might want to reconsider.Bury the Hatchetis a welcome return to form that focuses on sweeping melodies and soaring vocals while leaving the grand pronouncements to those more suited to making them--Zack de la Rocha, say, or, at the very least,Bono.Bury the Hatchetis brimming with gorgeous tunes such as "Animal Instinct," "Saving Grace," "You and Me," and the delicate "Shattered." "Promises" and "Delilah," meanwhile, are feisty rockers, showing off Dolores O'Riordan's keening voice and confirming the band's ability to play to the back rows.--Daniel Durchholz