New York University's independent student newspaper, established in 1973.

Washington Square News

New York University's independent student newspaper, established in 1973.

Washington Square News

New York University's independent student newspaper, established in 1973.

Washington Square News

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Cranberries Begin Final Chapter With Poignant New Single

Released after lead singer Dolores O’Riordan’s death in 2018, “All Over Now” sets the stage for the band’s last album.
The+Cranberriess+final+album%2C+In+The+End%2C+is+set+to+be+released+in+April.+%28via+facebook.com%29
The Cranberries’s final album, In The End, is set to be released in April. (via facebook.com)

Over a year after the death of the Cranberries’ vocalist Dolores O’Riordan, hearing her voice on the band’s newest single “All Over Now” feels melancholy, yet oddly comforting at the same time. The single is the first from the Cranberries’ eighth album “In the End,” which uses O’Riordan’s previously recorded vocals.

From the delicate outset of the first few seconds, “All Over Now” instantly identifies itself as a Cranberries song through and through. The piece deftly balances the iconic blend of grunge and elegant lyricism the band has been known for throughout their near 30-year career. The chorus, in which O’Riordan repeatedly sings “It’s all over now,” evokes the mood of an early Death Cab for Cutie song. It’s hauntingly somber with the emotional punch of 1990s alternative rock.

The lyrics vaguely outline a confrontation between a couple at a hotel in London. The song’s message seems fairly open to interpretation, but a thematic focus on distrust between partners is definitely apparent. They aren’t the most memorable lyrics the Cranberries have put out, but tonally, they mesh with the rest of the song well enough and cement it as a cynical take on the dysfunctional nature of human relationships.

The Cranberries. (via facebook.com

As the first single released for what the remaining members of the Cranberries say will be their final album, “All Over Now” fits the tone perfectly. Its message may seem rather dreary, especially in light of O’Riordan’s passing, but it indicates that the band intends to finish their musical journey without compromising the stylistic vision that made them stand out in the first place.

By all indications, “In the End” seems like it will bookend the story of the Cranberries in a more satisfying manner than most could have hoped for — a fitting conclusion for a musical pillar that dared to retain its identity regardless of changing times. And it’s tough to not read a little further into the song when O’Riordan sings, “Do you remember? Do you recall?”

Email Ethan Zack at [email protected].

About the Contributor
Ethan Zack, Deputy Managing Editor
Ethan is a junior in CAS majoring in Journalism and History. When he's not stumbling through an endless stream of Zoom classes, he's doing fun and cool things like reading the Wikipedia plot summaries of horror movies because he's too scared to actually watch them or making yet another three-song playlist that he will literally never touch again, ever. He's most active on Twitter (@ethanzack), so feel free to reach out with any spicy takes.
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