To The Faithfully Departed
Island/UMe, 2023
9/10
Listen to To The Faithfully Departed
Originally released in 1996, this classic from The Cranberries lives again in a 3 disc form, where plenty of outtakes and live tunes will be sure to satiate the diehard fan of these Irish legends.
Disc 1 is the original album plus some extras, where the thick and swirling “Hollywood” begins the listen with Dolores O’Riordan’s inimitable pipes and Fergal Lawler’s thumping drums making for an anthemic climate, and the hit “Salvation” follows with gritty melodies and warm sing-alongs that made the band a global sensation.
Deeper into this portion, the breezy “Will You Remember” is a more intimate moment of beauty that uses mandolin with much charm, while “Bosnia” is very much rooted in their Irish heritage with marching band drumming and a nice balance of soft versus loud moments. The first disc exits on the band’s cozy cover of “Go Your Own Way”, where the strong attention to mood certainly does justice to the original.
The middle disc is all demos and unreleased outtakes, and includes the heartfelt and folk friendly “Cordell”, as well as the harmonic layers of “Free To Decide (Paris Demo)”, where Noel Hogan’s meticulous guitar won’t go unnoticed.
The final 13 tracks are live and the sound quality is excellent. “Sunday”, from Toronto in 1996, offers a rhythmic and smooth display of their immense skill, and “Zombie”, from Detroit in 1996, captures the song’s intensity and crunchy power with the chorus that no one will ever forget.
If you’ve always been a casual admirer like myself, you’re going to be surprised at just how many great non-radio songs are found here. A band that clearly left their mark and inspired legions of others from all genres of music, this is an incredible package that documents one of the greatest rock bands of this generation.
Travels well with: Yellowjackets; We Are Scientists- Huffy