Search - Cranes :: Jewel (The Cranes vs. The Cure) / Clear / Cloudless (4 track Remix EP)

This four-track release is an intriguing collection of remixes of Forever tracks, one of which, the title track, turned into the band's biggest commercial breakthrough in the U.S. The original poppy groove was spruced up with some extra percussion touches and, more notably, some new, very distinctly Cure-styled guitar lines, unsurprising when one realizes the remixer was Cranes' friend and fan Robert Smith himself. As a result, the track is almost more of a collaboration than a remix, and quite a beautiful one, mixing the Cure's dark, Arabic-tinged psychedelia with Cranes' rigorous rhythmic approach. Next up are two mixes of the roaring "Clear," given more of a noise work-over thanks to the remixer on both, J.G. Thirlwell aka Foetus. His industrial dancefloor beats and sonic crunch suit the song perfectly, making both mixes sound much more frenetic than the original, while his addition of cryptic movie dialogue to both sends everything off-kilter even further. The final mix visits the other end of Cranes material: The delicate, barely there "Cloudless" gets a serene, ambient gloss courtesy of 4AD label head Ivo Watts-Russell and producer John Fryer. The result recalls the duo's work on the This Mortal Coil albums a touch, with extra washes of sound creating a sense of depth and space, even as Alison Shaw's vocal is brought further forward in the mix, as is the light electric guitar that appears later. Additional light, quick, hip-hop beats also appear, which sound stranger than they actually are, resulting in a fine reinvention of the track as it switches from the fuller, but still calm, sections to emptier, moodier moments. Fans should note that the U.K. version contains an extra track not found on the American release, the haunting "Leave Her to Heaven." (Ned Raggett) TRACKS: 1. Jewel (Extended Version) (4:58) 2. Clear (Ring Tailed Snorter Mix) (4:28) 3. Clear (Boll-Weevil Mix) (8:02) 4. Cloudless (Thais Mix) (7:49)