Credits:

Cranes

Description:

The fact that Jim Shaw can be seen on the front cover in a Boss Hog T-shirt shows that something could well be up; if there’s any band that would seem to be an opposite to Cranes’ artistic vision, Boss Hog might be a prime candidate. Then again, Cranes have always had their rougher side, and the almost balls-out thrash metal riffing part way through “Fourteen” isn’t totally unexpected. Population Four signaled the first major change in the lineup of Cranes for a while with the departure of bassist Cope. Possibly more interesting was what happened within the band: Jim Shaw stepped from behind the drums to take over lead guitar duties in full, Francombe switched to bass, while new member Manu Ros settled behind the drum kit. The band is ultimately the most conventional it’s ever been on Population Four. The same sense of space, off-kilter touches in the mix and the like remain, but more than one song c