Review Summary: Simply put, No Need to argue is The Cranberries best album, as it is the stage of the bands career where they developed the most, and created some of their best songs to date.
It is often overlooked, mainly due to its border with England, but Ireland has produced some stellar rock bands in the country’s own right. Bands like U2 and Thin Lizzy quickly come to mind, and if you’re an indie rock zealot like me, the incomparable My Bloody Valentine quickly resonates. Speaking of My Bloody Valentine, Kevin Shields was once advised to get out of Dublin, as bands had found difficulty booking gigs and getting attention in the area. This is quite surprising considering its proximity to the nation that has produced arguably some of the best rock bands ever. Many Irish bands would not hang around the country for long as most, like the aforementioned My Bloody Valentine, relocated to London, and some to the States. Needless to say the odds are slightly more against bands coming up in Ireland. One of the more noteworthy bands to defy the odds of this claim is The Cranberries, a quartet out of Dublin with a rich, clean and mature alternative rock sound. In 1994 the Cranberries were coming off of their marginally successful debut Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can’t We? It was a respectable first effort by an intriguing band. However it was on No Need To Argue, their sophomore effort, where they really found their stride.
No Need To Argue picks up where its predecessor left off as it contains the same dark melancholic elegance and clean sound, only slightly better. A big reason for this is Doloris O’Riordan, who sounds a bit more confident on this record, as her vocals ride along these delightful melodies so beautifully on many of the tracks, particularly on the catchy “Ridiculous Thoughts” and “I Can’t Be with You.” The instrumentals on the album have also taken a step forward, most notably by guitarist Noel Hogan as he has developed an, almost Johnny Marr-like, crisp and polished guitar sound. The band had obviously become more comfortable with an album and tour of experience under their belt. A common topic addressed throughout this album is the stresses experienced in your 20’s, with the issue of yearning to reach a certain age in “Twenty One” and the fear of becoming a parent in “The Icicle Melts,” along with the decision against your parents will, to become a musician in the opener “Ode To My Family.” The band certainly has a wonderfully artistic way of expressing the struggle with these ever so common hardships, which was a big reason for their popularity.
They even get political, particularly on the albums finest and most famous track “Zombie,” which is magnificently crafted as a dark stirring tribute to the fight for Irish independence. It was written after the IRA bombing in Warrington, Cheshire in the early 90’s where two children were killed: “In your head in your head/They are fighting/With their tanks and their bombs/And their bombs and their guns/In your head in your head they are crying/In your head/In your head/Zombie zombie zombie ei ei.” A few weeks after this song was released, the IRA announced a ceasefire after 25 years of conflict, which lead some to wonder if the IRA called a truce to make sure The Cranberries didn’t write anymore songs about them. Whether this is true or not, the song adds a very sharp political spin to the record along with it being one of the first songs we would get to hear the band experiment more as they use a bit of distortion with this being one of their heavier tracks. The Berries also add an elegant tribute to the famous 20th Century poet, W. B. Yeats, in “Yeat’s Grave.”
One of the album best tracks comes towards the end with “Daffodil Lament” where we hear O’Riordan describe a difficult decision to end a romance with an ungrateful partner. The song is the records longest as it contains an unsettling build up in the beginning with a transition into a happier, more upbeat sounding song. “I have decided to leave you forever/I have decide to start things from here/Thunder and lightning won't change what I'm feeling/And the daffodils look lovely today/Oh in your eyes I can see the disguise/Oh in your eyes I can see the dismay.” It is anyone’s guess at to the meaning behind the daffodil reference, maybe they hold significance in the relationship she just ended, or maybe she is just appreciating the small yet beautiful things in life following a negative experience. Either way the song is very special, and is one of the albums highest points. One of the bands shining qualities is shown on this particular song, and that is the powerful feminine presence that O’Riordan brings to the album, and would bring to many more, as her lyrics begin to add a strong and defiant theme to the group’s music.
The second time was the charm for The Cranberries as No Need to Argue was and still is their best album. With the group members’ country still in the midst of a fight for independence, it is not surprising that this album has a very prickly mood throughout, but it is part of what makes it so great and personal. It helped propel the band to the status of Ireland’s version of 1990’s alternative rock darlings. Their classy up-scale gothic sound was, and still is today, a treat for young adults bored with never ending mainstream pop, or simply just bored with alternative rock. I’m not sure who exactly it was that suggested Kevin Shields get his band out of Dublin, but I’d like to think No Need To Argue changed that persons view on the great Irish city’s music scene.
