''Roses'' is the sixth
studio album
An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century as individual 78 rpm records c ...
by Irish
alternative rock
Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from mainstream or commercial ...
band
The Cranberries
The Cranberries were an Irish rock band formed in Limerick, Ireland. Originally named the Cranberry Saw Us, the band were formed in 1989 by lead singer Niall Quinn, guitarist Noel Hogan, bassist Mike Hogan and drummer Fergal Lawler. Quinn was ...
, released in the Republic of Ireland
on 22 February 2012 and globally on 27 February 2012 through
Cooking Vinyl
Cooking Vinyl is a British independent record label, based in Acton, London, England, founded in 1986 by former manager and booking agent Martin Goldschmidt and business partner Pete Lawrence. Goldschmidt remains the current owner and chairma ...
and
Downtown Records.
Produced by
Stephen Street, it was the band's first studio release in ten years. Originally planned to be released in late 2003, the recordings for the follow-up to ''
Wake Up and Smell the Coffee
''Wake Up and Smell the Coffee'' is the fifth studio album by Irish alternative rock band The Cranberries, and their last before their six-year hiatus. Released on 22 October 2001, the album sold 170,000 copies in the US by April 2007. Worldwide ...
'' were scrapped after the band decided to go their separate ways. After a six-year hiatus, The Cranberries announced their intention to record a new album during their 2009–2010 reunion tour. The title ''Roses'' was announced on The Cranberries website, on 24 May 2011.
In 2012 it was awarded a gold certification from the
Independent Music Companies Association which indicated sales of at least 75,000 copies throughout Europe.
Recording sessions
The Cranberries worked on 19 tracks for the ''Roses'' album in Toronto and London between April 2002 and June 2003 with producer
Stephen Street,
who previously collaborated with the band on ''
Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We?'', ''
No Need to Argue
''No Need to Argue'' is the second studio album by Irish alternative rock band the Cranberries, released on 3 October 1994. It is the band's best selling album, and has sold 17 million copies worldwide as of 2014. It contains the band's most suc ...
'' and ''
Wake Up and Smell the Coffee
''Wake Up and Smell the Coffee'' is the fifth studio album by Irish alternative rock band The Cranberries, and their last before their six-year hiatus. Released on 22 October 2001, the album sold 170,000 copies in the US by April 2007. Worldwide ...
''. Seventeen tracks were finished for the album. According to producer Stephen Street, the recordings recapture "the delicate darker mood of
he earlier Cranberries albums
He or HE may refer to:
Language
* He (pronoun), an English pronoun
* He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ
* He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets
* He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' ...
. The album included string arrangements.
First session (Metalworks Studios, Mississauga, Ontario)
The Cranberries recorded 18 tracks at the
Metalworks Studios in Mississauga, Ontario (Canada) from 18 April 2002 to 29 June 2003. All album tracks, except "Tomorrow", were recorded during the first session. "Losing My Mind" was first titled "Eyelash".
Second session (Miloco Studios, London)
The band and producer Stephen Street went into the studio st the Miloco Studios in London and "Tomorrow", was recorded during April 2011, and the other tracks were completed during this recording session. "Stars" was replaced by the new track "Tomorrow".
Composition
Asked about "Tomorrow", O'Riordan told ''Billboard'' that "it's about the way we sometimes hyper over-escalate things in our minds, overthink about things...when sometimes spontaneity and just jumping in is better. Tomorrow you might not have that moment back again. So it's really about moving on and also about kind of looking at the younger generation and how they worry about all kinds of silly things. They don't think they're silly, but when you're older you know better."
A one-minute preview of the song was released on 31 July 2011.
"Astral Projection" is described as "a dreamy rock song which could be catchy", while "In It Together" "is a very feel good song creating the same type of atmosphere as 'Stars' – colourful".
"Schizophrenic Playboy" is a rock song dealing about the risks of sexual encounters. Noel Hogan described the studio mix of the song as "very James Bond". A one-minute preview of the song was released on 31 August 2011.
"Fire and Soul" is a ballad with drum loops and light electronica elements. A one-minute preview of the song was released on 13 October 2011.
The songs vary in pace and mood, from the soft and summery "Fire and Soul" to the reggae-infused "Raining in My Heart" and the sweeping storm that rages within "Conduct."
The title track "Roses" is described as a "very sparse
.. but a very strong track". The music was written by guitarist Noel Hogan a few years before the band went back into recording sessions.
The songs were planned to be included on the cancelled 2003 album.
The band first worked on those titles with producer Stephen Street during some
recording sessions in 2003, before re-recording them for the ''Roses'' album in 2011.
Track listing
Charts
In France, the album debuted at number 5 on the
French Albums Chart
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
, selling 8,950 copies, in Canada, the album debuted at number 6 on the
Canadian Albums Chart
The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Oce ...
, selling 3,100 copies.
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Release history
During an interview with ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large adverti ...
'' magazine in October, lead vocalist
Dolores O'Riordan
Dolores Mary Eileen O'Riordan ( ; 6 September 1971 – 15 January 2018) was an Irish musician, singer and songwriter. She was best known as the lead vocalist and lyricist for the alternative rock band the Cranberries. One of the most recogniz ...
revealed that the album would be released in February 2012.
On 21 July, guitarist
Noel Hogan
Noel Anthony Hogan (born 25 December 1971) is an Irish musician and record producer best known as the lead guitarist and co-songwriter of the Irish alt-rock band the Cranberries.
The Cranberries
Hogan formed the Cranberries with his brother Mik ...
suggested the possibility of releasing an EP before the release of ''Roses''.
Certifications
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
2012 albums
The Cranberries albums
Cooking Vinyl albums
Downtown Records albums
Shock Records albums
Albums produced by Stephen Street
Albums recorded at Metalworks Studios