While the days of guitar maximalism are long in Cranes' past, Particles & Waves showcases a band who is doing a very good job when they attempt to recapture the stunningly haunting sound that drew so many fans a decade ago. On songs like "K56," and "Here Comes the Snow," Alison Shaw's piercingly high pitched voice is fragile and lonely, almost naked against the patient and pretty melodies. However, there are certain points where I simply cannot connect with the music.
When Jim Shaw sings on "Every Town," every bit of attraction that was drawing me in begins to push me away. It's almost like this on "Avenue A," where mediocre lyrics don't make up for a mediocre tune. Fans of their French songs might find joy in the title track, and I'm completely sucked in by the swirling, repetitious melody of "Astronauts." I'm on the fence with the songs "Streams," and the closer, "Light Song," as they aren't as clear cut as the rest. It's as if they're in a struggle, trying to find a balance between guitar, piano, and electronic interplay with Alison's vocals. The dissonances almost work but I'm just not completely sold. Sound effects don't quite make up for what seems like an instrument is missing. This is somewhat representative of the album as a whole. Being on a major label, then a relatively large minor label, then dropped can have a wide range of effects on the music of an act who decides to continue: either the band can go back to the drawing board and reinvent themselves, return to the sound that drew attention in the past, or continue down the path of making things even less accessible and marketable than before. Some of these paths work for some while others work for others. In the case of Cranes, it seems as if they are trying to find which path they're going to take. There's a lot that works on this album, but an undeniable amount which doesn't. The stuff that does work is good enough to prove that Cranes can't be written off yet, and there's plenty more still to anticipate from the group.
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