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Alternative rock band the Cranberries recently achieved TikTok fame for their song “Dreams,” but the entirety of Everybody Else is Doing It, So Why Can’t We is worth another listen. The album contains a dreamy mix of sad ballads and upbeat tracks, all with the Cranberries’ signature understated guitar in the back.

Songs like “Sunday” combine melancholic lyrics with a fast tempo and bright instrumentals. Then in the very next track, “Pretty,” the Cranberries assume an almost wistful, soft tone.

While the album is good overall, it can’t quite be called alternative rock like it’s meant to be. The notes are more pop than anything else, as the Cranberries seem to stray from their Smiths-like inspiration.

The most alternative track on the album would probably be “Still Can’t,” which pulls out keening vocals and a prominent guitar piece in the background.

Still, there’s no questioning why “Dreams” has gone through a revival and the rest of the album hasn’t. Everybody Else is Doing it, So Why Can’t We may be a good album, but it just doesn’t deliver consistent quality throughout the twelve tracks. 

Fans of the Smiths or even the Pixies will likely enjoy Everybody Else is Doing it, So Why Can’t We. However, the album just doesn’t seem to have a place in today’s more modern music scape.