From the folk-mass acoustic guitar intro of Animal Instinct to the tinkly-winkly piano of Dying In The Sun, The Cranberries' fourth album is a tooth-rattling experience, a sonic stress test in which the band tries to twist pop music to fit its own unwieldy template. Unable to stop now because they're far too famous, The Cranberries are forced once again to cover up any signs that they've run out of juice a long time ago. Bury The Hatchet is firmly embedded in awkward arrangements, clumsy riffology and laughable lyrics; it sounds like the work of a band who can't believe they haven't been caught out yet, and are not quite sure how long more they can keep getting away with it.
