Stars draws together, chronologically, the Cranberries' very best work. Their worldwide hit debut album is represented by the soft Celtic lilt of "Linger" and "Dreams". The follow-up, No Need to Argue, contributes five tracks, including the grungy "Zombie", while the anti-drug treatise "Salvation" and the street-corner-style "When You're Gone" appear from To the Faithful Departed, along with "Hollywood" and "Free to Decide". Both 1999's Bury the Hatchet and 2001's Wake Up and Smell the Coffee feature strongly as well, the latter being marked by the new-found contentment of the band's hitherto spiky vocalist Dolores O'Riordan.

As often with best-of packages, previously unreleased material is included, but as fans will know, the main reason to possess this CD is the Cranberries' unique combination of agonised love songs, vicious invective and beautiful melodies. --Dominic Wills