Roses (album)

Recording sessions

The Cranberries worked on 19 tracks for the Roses album in Toronto and London between April and June 2011 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 and Wake Up and Smell the Coffee. Seventeen tracks were finished for the album. According to producer Stephen Street, the recordings recapture "the delicate darker mood of [the earlier Cranberries albums]". The album will include string arrangements.

First session (Metalworks Studios, Mississauga, Ontario)

The Cranberries recorded 15 tracks at the Metalworks Studios in Mississauga, Ontario (Canada) from 18 April to 15 May 2011. All album tracks, except "Waiting in Walthamstow", were recorded during the first session, along with "Someday", "Serendipity", "In It Together", "Perfect World" and "Stop Me", – ..."all the tracks will see commercial release in some form.". "Losing My Mind" was first titled "Eyelash".

Second session (Miloco Studios, London)

The band and producer Stephen Street went back into studio st the Miloco Studios in London from Monday 20 June to Wednesday 22 June, to work on four new backing tracks for the upcoming album. Two new songs, "Waiting in Walthamstow" and "Always", were completed during this recording session. The titles of the unfinished tracks remain unknown.

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.

"Someday", "Raining in My Heart", "Astral Projections" and "In it Together" were planned to be included on the cancelled 2004 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

All lyrics written by Dolores O'Riordan; all music composed by O'Riordan and Noel Hogan, except tracks 2, 7, 8 and 10, which are by O'Riordan.

Charts

In Canada, the album debuted at number 6 on the Canadian Albums Chart, selling 3,100 copies.

Release history

During an interview with Billboard magazine in October, lead vocalist Dolores O'Riordan revealed that the album would be released in February 2012.

On 21 July, guitarist Noel Hogan suggested the possibility of releasing an EP before the release of Roses.