The Cranes: c or d?

I am sad that this description hasn't made anyone go, "Oh, I know that song, it's '_______'."

Wah!

ATTENTION ILM: Please help me identify this song! Is it "Inescapable", as Ned suggests?

ATTENTION ILM: Please help me identify this song! Is it "Inescapable", as Ned suggests?

It might also be "Give" (off the Inescapable EP) which I remember being a set-closer around the same time.

Cranes song 'Astronauts' from the 'Particles and Waves' album is going to be included in the opening show for the American Super Bowl ! It's on Sunday 5th February and the song will appear during a pre-taped opening tease featuring athletes and actors reciting lines from Dr. Seuss' "Oh, The Places You'll Go."

My favourite Cranes story: when working at the record store one night (possibly a MOLTEN METAL MONDAY) with my friend STV we played some Cranes and a customer yelled "HEY! THIS SOUNDS LIKE MUSIC TO SAW YOUR ARMS OFF TO!" at us from across the store.

amazing ^

I've been playing Forever and Loved all day over here, great fucking albums.

This is the band with that horrible female singer isn't it? I'm with Dr. C on that. Never could stand them for a second, though I certainly met plenty of folks who liked them. I'm surprised they weren't lumped in with the shoegazing thing more, as it seems to me they started in that era, right?

Fuck, I found the song I was looking for at one point but now I can't remember what it ended up being. (It definitely predates "Lillies".)

The mystery song. I say just drop the band a line or something.

This is the band with that horrible female singer isn't it?

I think her voice works a lot better with the dense, heavy, layered songs with plenty of bass. Provides a nice contrast to her wispy, sometimes admittedly grating voice. Whereas, wispy song + wispy voice never worked quite so well for me, with this band.

^^^^ pretty much OTM, they worked much better when they maximized density (which is why Loved is so much better than the rest of their albums).

Not sure I totally agree with this. Some of their wispier stuff, eg. 'Paris and Rome', 'Cloudless', is pretty amazing.

Incidentally, my 50-year-old mother (whose favorite artists are Rascal Flatts, Sugarland, Coldplay and a wide array of contemporary Christian pop/rock) heard a Cranes album in my car this morning (Forever) and *loved* it, especially Alison Shaw's "amazing voice" -- go figure?

(Now then, Bimble, if she can get into it...)

"So Mom, you might like 'Starblood'..."

I think "Starblood" was the song I was looking for...? I need to see if I have a copy of it somewhere.

Yeah I'm pretty sure Starblood was that song. That was the highlight of their show on that 1992 Wish tour.

Been listening to Wings of Joy a lot lately, "Starblood" is incredible as is the rest of the record.

Also, THIS EP COLLECTION IS AMAZING:

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/416G2QWQJQL._SL500_AA240_.jpg

A handful of the very best tracks from Wings of Joy, Forever and Loved, plus a ton of early Cranes highlights, EP only material and stuff that's otherwise only available on vinyl. I'm hard pressed to name a bad track on here. LOOOOOOVE.

Yeah, that's a good comp. Never got it cause I had pretty much all the singles and could burn my own version of it (in fact that's a good idea).

New album out next week, you crazy goths.

YOU GUYS

IT WAS "STARBLOOD"

CONFIRMED FACT

Said new album is quite excellent, BTW -- it's easily the most easygoing of their albums yet but the feeling is one of the goth stormclouds hovering high above while the keyboard-led arrangements and gentler performances suggest things like the High Llamas, Young Marble Giants, Broadcast a bit, some minimal techno...it's a nice blend.

Tempted to get this. I assume it's very much in the vein of their last two releases?

Yes, but even more restrained -- it's the keyboards rather than the drums or guitars that provide a lot of the focus this time out, but there's that same sense of rhythmic undertow and slightly ominous edge. But what's nice is that it doesn't feel any less like a Cranes album for that reason. As Alison's voice is unchanged and Jim clearly still listens out for that sense of rhythm and focus first and foremost, it's a very natural course to take.

Why do people hate Population 4? I have all their albums excpet the french concept album((always too expensive)) and while Population 4 is not one of their best,, it has not one bad song and "Sweet Unknown" is arguably their best song,, I think that the This Mortal Coil follow-up Hope Blister covered it and I'm glad that someone else thought that song was special.

Its one of those songs you'll never forget the first time you heard it,, Cranes have had me in pain with the incredible sad beauty of songs like "Tommorrows Tears" and "Paris and Rome",, but with "Sweet Unknown",, it made me feel a way I've never been made to feel by ANYTHING in art or life in general..... I'm a decent person with a pretty clear conscious,,, but that song sounded so astoundingly beautiful and pure that I felt a bit of a shabby person and it made me want to be a better person. WOW!!!

Play that song to a saint and theyll cry and promise to be a better person(((I'm not saying I'm a saint))).

As much as I love Slowdive and Chapterhouse and other bands of that era/scene,, I often think Cranes are better because they are just so incredibly unique that you feel greatful that they exist. If Slowdive did not exist I'm sure someone else would have done something similar to fill that void((not an insult,, I love them to pieces)),, but Cranes worringly could easily never have existed. Scary thought for me.

I played Population 4 once and thought it was the most boring, self-indulgent music I'd ever heard (and I own multiple Sky Cries Mary albums).

Good god. (In re: Sky Cries Mary.)

And a new reissue here: Fuse, on vinyl for the first time as well:

https://cranes.bandcamp.com/album/fuse

I never thought this would be reissued

Really remarkable to see it. I think any further reissues after that would have to go through Cherry Red because I gather they have access to the Dedicated releases (which explains the Chapterhouse box from the other year), but I think that's still in the works. We'll see what follows next!

Really excited to see them in May

Saw them last night. The songs are still a joy but the band was pretty rough. Often out of sync and missing cues. But they nailed Starblood. Hope they can play a few more shows and shake things off.

https://www.cherryred.co.uk/cranes-collected-works-vol-1-1989-1997-6cd-box-set
Excellent!

It is! Been out for a bit.