Daily Jam - September

Try as I might, I just can’t seem to get anyone to jump on the Cranes bandwagon with me. And that’s a damn shame, because the British shoegaze band churned out a whole mess of stellar pop during their early/mid '90s heyday. Most complaints are generally lodged against the vocal stylings of Alison Shaw, a kind of childlike, high-pitched coo. I’ll admit, it’s a lot to take in at first. But repeated listening yields great reward. She sounds like no one else. Her voice fascinates me.

Just listen to “September” from 1994’s Shining Road EP. It plays like some Gothic version of dreampop. A gentle, sad, and wistful guitar melody sweeps by like a chilling breeze accompanied by Shaw’s otherworldly voice, the last vestiges of a solemn child’s ghost weeping hymns from some ethereal place. It’s haunting, and it’s mournful, and in the pit of some self-inflicted despair, it might just be everything.

Okay, maybe that’s a little heavy handed, but “September” is an absolutely beautiful song, and it definitely makes Cranes worthy of another shot, after dropping any preconceived notions of what a singing voice is supposed to sound like.

Get on the bandwagon with me. Do it.

Listen below, our Daily Jam.