Kevin Bryan delivers his verdict on some of this week's CD releases The Cranberries,"In The End" (BMG)- The untimely death of Cranberries' vocalist Dolores O'Riordan just over a year ago deprived the Irish rock scene of one of its most distinctive and compelling talents and left behind a collection of recently penned demos which had been intended to form the basis of the Limerick band's next album. Her three surviving bandmates made the decision to complete her musical epitaph before they finally called it a day and the finished product serves as a poignant celebration of Dolores' life and work, showcasing heartfelt and strangely prophetic ditties such as "All Over Now," "Summer Song" and "In The End" itself.

Union Duke,"Golden Days"(Self-released)- This Toronto outfit's infectious approach to music-making has been characterised as "two fifths city, two fifths country and one fifth whisky," and their irresistible blend of bluegrass, indie rock and country is captured in all its glorious immediacy here. This urban stringband's third album was recorded with the minimum of fuss in a conscious attempt to recreate the joyous spontaneity of Union Duke's live shows and the exuberant results should be required listening for ardent devotees of roots music everywhere.

U.K.,"Danger Money"(Talking Elephant)- The latest CD re-issue from the good people at Talking Elephant focusses attention on the second and final studio album from short lived prog-rock supergroup U.K. The band fronted by former King Crimson bassist John Wetton and the multi-talented Eddie Jobson had opted to soldier on as a trio after the fairly acrimonious departures of guitarist Allan Holdsworth and drummer Bill Bruford, with former Zappa sideman Terry Bozzio proving a more than able replacement for the latter here. "Danger Money" may not have made too much of a commercial impact when it first saw the light of day in 1979 but I'm pleased to be able to report that its mildly esoteric charms have withstood the passage of time surprisingly well.

"Halfway To Paradise" (Crimson/Demon Music)- The powers that be at Demon Music have rounded up many of the usual suspects in order to populate their latest foray into the world of the rock'n'roll anthology , with the likes of Eddie Cochran ,Chuck Berry and Gene Vincent all making their seemingly obligatory contributions to this easy on the ear 3CD set. The astute compilers have also found space for some fascinating period pieces such as The Penguins' delicious doo wop anthem, "Earth Angel," Link Wray's menacing instrumentaL,"Rumble" and the ill fated James Ray's 1962 opus "I've Got My Mind Set On You," which George Harrison would go on to revive so successfully in the late eighties.