Artist:     The Cranberries

Album:     In The End

Label:     BMG

Release Date:     4.26

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The Cranberries, the Irish Rock band formed nearly 30 years ago have just released their final album In The End. Noel Hogan (lead guitarist), Mike Hogan (bassist), Dolores O’Riordan (singer-songwriter) and Fergal Lawler (drummer), all from Limerick, Ireland, reached international success with classic hits like “Linger” and “Dreams.” Album by album the Cranberries established a musical legacy that many bands aspire to. In many ways, this record is the best way to commemorate the life of Dolores O’Riordan, on the anniversary of her passing.

The material that forms the heart of the album came from demos that O’Riordan sent to the band in the months prior to her death. Fergal, Noel and Mike used those recordings to finish the 11 tracks that form the album. The overall sound of these songs can be described as nostalgic and rainy like a cold winter day, but has the sonic composition of the early Cranberries sound of the ’90s (“All Over Now,” “The Pressure,” “In The End”).

Thematically the album is varied with bright rock sounds that contrast with stark lyrics. Songs like “Got It” offer a more upbeat, structured melody with a rather catchy chorus that contrast sharply with the melancholy in O’Riordan’s Celtic-tinted vocals in the opening track “In The End.” With lyrics like ”Do you remember? Remember the night? At a hotel in London…” can seem like a prophetic soundtrack to the way in which O’Riordan died, drowned in a bathtub in a London hotel. “Summer Song” and “Illusion” evoke softer anthems of nostalgia and loss.

It is bittersweet that this is O’Riordan’s very last, posthumous album with the band and the last time fans all over the world will listen to the angelic voice that could also be full of rage. All these songs mark the end of a chapter for the band, who have decided to end their journey as a group. In The End is a celebration of The Cranberries’ legacy and a beautiful gift to their fans and to Dolores O’Riordan’s memory.

—Tracy Montes