Cranes

British group Cranes first drew notice through their eerie, otherworldly aesthetic, shaped most memorably by the inquisitive, youthful delivery of vocalist Alison Shaw. Although the music has always defied neat classification and has shifted across the band’s lifespan, admirers of dream pop, gothic rock, darkwave, and adjacent styles have long held the catalog in high regard. The project took shape in the mid-1980s with an abstract, quasi-industrial approach built around pounding drum-machine rhythms and abrasive, distorted guitars. Their first proper album, Wings of Joy, appeared in 1991 and offered a smoother, more refined take on that atmospheric approach; the subsequent releases Loved in 1993 and Forever in 1994 brought the most overtly melodic and radio-friendly material the group would produce. After the comparatively direct alternative-rock orientation of Population Four in 1997, Cranes resurfaced following a short break with fresh personnel and a modestly more electronic palette, yielding a run of three albums that began with Future Songs in 2001. Live performances resumed in 2023, accompanied by several reissues and archival projects, among them the 2024 box set Collected Works, Vol. 1 (1989-1997).

Siblings Alison Shaw, who handles vocals, bass, and acoustic guitar, and Jim Shaw, responsible for guitar, bass, keyboards, and drums, established Cranes in Portsmouth, England, in 1985; the pair have remained the only constant members throughout the group’s history. Drawing heavily from the Cure and Nick Cave as well as industrial outfits such as Foetus and the Young Gods, the duo issued their earliest demo cassette, the mini-album Fuse, on Bite Back! in 1986. A second mini-album, Self-Non-Self—their first vinyl release—followed in 1989, at which time famed DJ John Peel began to champion the band. Two sessions were recorded for his program, leading to a 1990 contract with the BMG-affiliated label Dedicated. By then the lineup had grown to include multi-instrumentalist Mark Francombe and guitarist Matt Cope. Two EPs, Inescapable and Espero, surfaced that year, and the band graced the cover of Melody Maker. Wings of Joy, the full-length debut, earned favorable notices upon its 1991 arrival, while a 1992 world tour supporting the Cure helped broaden their reach. Forever, issued in 1993, marked their commercial breakthrough, aided by the U.K. Top 30 performance of the poignant single “Jewel,” which received a striking reinterpretation from the Cure’s Robert Smith. Third album Loved arrived the following year and included another standout track, “Shining Road,” which likewise charted in the United Kingdom.

An experimental effort titled La Tragédie d'Oreste et Électre, inspired by Jean-Paul Sartre’s play Les Mouches, was issued in a limited run of 10,000 copies in 1996; although it had actually been recorded concurrently with Loved, the two were originally conceived as a double album. Population Four, the sole Cranes full-length to feature drummer Manu Ros, and EP Collection, Vol. 1 & 2 both appeared in 1997. Dedicated subsequently ceased operations, and the then-current lineup disbanded. The Shaw siblings relaunched Cranes in 2000, now joined by guitarist/keyboardist Paul Smith, bassist Ben Baxter, and drummer Jon Callender. They inaugurated their own Dadaphonic imprint while licensing U.S. releases to Instinct. Future Songs, which retained the group’s essential character while folding in ambient and trip-hop elements, emerged in 2001; its single “Submarine” incorporated remixes from techno producers including Dietrich Schoenemann (Prototype 909) and Jack Dangers (Meat Beat Manifesto). In 2002, Spanish label Elefant issued a 7" containing two previously unreleased late-’90s recordings. Another tour with the Cure ensued, and Live in Italy was documented in 2003. Continuing the restrained, electronics-tinged trajectory of Future Songs, Particles & Waves appeared in 2004, followed by Cranes in 2008.

The band returned to the stage in 2023 for their first concerts in eleven years. They also released John Peel Sessions 1989-1990 and, for the first time, reissued Fuse on CD, vinyl, and digital formats in 2024. That same year, Cherry Red issued the box set Collected Works, Vol. 1 (1989-1997), encompassing nearly everything the group had issued on Dedicated.