The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

There are only so many expectations a
long-awaited album can handle, especially after a ten year-long hiatus. The Cranberries were largely missed by their fans and the
lead singer Dolores O’Riordan’s
fresh voice and the band’s subtle instruments were continually in demand. Thus, it’s refreshing
to see the Irish quartet easily pick up where they left off, making a comeback
with the album Roses.

The
tracks sound like classic pop-rock hits yet present something new in their
own way. Roses starts on a not-so-cheerful note with ‘Conduct’, which is
one of the best tracks on the album. The song speaks of a relationship on a
brink of a break-up, however strengthens it towards the end by remembering its good parts as well. The album then shows a playful side with the song
‘Tomorrow’, which encompasses light guitar riffs and motivating lyrics.

‘Fire and Soul’ slowly starts with an
electronic drum, but then melts into a synched melody of guitars and violins, as
O’Riordan sings the lyrics “I’ll wait for you forever/ I’ll take you to my
grave”. The melody, however, is too simple and becomes repetitive. And just as the album trots along, ‘Schizophrenic Playboy’ comes with a strong rock arrangement that presents the darkest part of the album.

However, any notions of this being a rock album vanish quickly. The
album then returns once more to its slow pace; mixing between The Cranberries’
old style and a hint of a fresher sound that makes up for the missing years. In
the title track ‘Roses’, the lyrics reflect on O’Riordan’s father’s illness. Pain and desperation are more or
less the general tone of the album as a whole.

Roses is a mellow,
soft return for The Cranberries. If you’re looking for a course-changing
record, you won’t find it here; you’ll instead find emotive lyrics that venture
deeply with their meanings and are matched with melancholic, soothing
tunes. This just may be enough to satisfy for another ten years to come.