Cranes

at The Middle East Cafe
by Jen Beatty
photo by Adam Buck

When you enter a Cranes show, you may expect a serene, delicate performance. Instead you are surprised with an intense, passionate display. Free from simplistic tunes and riffs, the Cranes perform like a painter’s brush meeting a canvas for the first time: They exude art. They employ entrancing melodies that are a unique mixture of wrenching instrumentation and Alison Shaw’s elfin vocals. Their churning dramatic beat will draw even the most reluctant listener to admit that they are unique in their field.

Unable to escape the Gothic label, the black-clad outcast audience was in glory with a powerful set derived mainly from Loved (Arista).

The quirky, unconventional way Alison stands to the side of the stage, as opposed to the traditional center position, and Matt Cope’s shocking assault with pliers on his guitar embody what the Cranes are all about. Regarding their present album and tour, Alison has been quoted as saying, “I think this time it’ll happen for us.” I couldn’t agree more.