Garbage In, Garbage Out
Written: Jun 08 '05 (Updated Jun 17 '05)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Four decent (errr, good) songs...
Cons: Lots of filler, little inspiration, little energy...
The Bottom Line: What happened to Garbage? Bleed Like Me is a hollow, emotionless album.
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| lambchops's Full Review: Bleed Like Me [ECD] [PA] - Garbage |
The factor that really turned me on to Garbage had less to do with the music and more to do with Shirley Manson’s swagger. Her fire-engine red hair, short skirts, tall boots, and brogue made Manson one of the most interesting figures in late 1990s rock n’ roll, but it was her voice and the band’s music that made Garbage something really special.
It was with that first eponymous album (1995) that I was exposed to the band. Stupid Girl and I’m Only Happy When it Rains were just the beginning. Garbage released single after single—all of which further added to the band’s popularity and success. I couldn’t help but be drawn into the enchanting musical web. Both 1995’s Garbage and 1998’s Version 2.0 were pretty outstanding. There were moments of weakness on both, but the truly excellent electronic-infused-rock outweighed the yawn-worthy tracks.
Manson along with her multi-talented collaborators Steve Marker (guitars, synths, programming), Butch Vig (guitars, bass, drums, programming), and Duke Erikson (guitars, keys, programming, synths) have been making music now for over a decade. 2001’s Beautiful Garbage was something of a disappointment, but 2005’s Bleed Like Me offered up a chance for redemption. Would Garbage reclaim their glory? Would the music live up to the hype? Would the album improve on the flawed prior release? Bleed Like Me had a lot riding on it, and I had some doubts going into my first listen but did so out of faith in the band.
Unfortunately, Bleed Like Me tests my faith. I want to enjoy every bite, but some are undercooked (at best). There is a wide gorge between the best and the worst of this Garbage album. This differences in quality are what make this album a challenge to enjoy in one sitting. The brevity of the outing is at least a good point and helps to teeter-totter my opinion toward the positive, but what about the music?
First off, don’t expect to find something so outrageously brash as Stupid Girl, I Think I’m Paranoid or Push It. Bleed Like Me is a straight-forward album that is on the whole tamer and more “mature” (which actually translates as less dynamic and more boring). Garbage took a massive chill pill and made an album that is pretty, easy on the ears, but not particularly creative. I’m left wondering if the band has run out of inspiration. I mean, there’s only so much of the same thing over the course of ten years a band can do before they get run out of town.
Bad Boyfriend and continuing through both Run Baby Run and Right Between the Eyes kick Bleed Like Me off on a sour note. Not don’t get me wrong—the songs sound fine enough but they could have been performed by anybody. There’s nothing that sets this song apart or makes it distinctly Garbage. The first hint of the kinetic rock I’ve enjoyed in the past comes on the fourth song, Why Do You Love Me. Manson’s impatient vocals mesh nicely with the echoing guitars and tidily arranged melody.
Turning their backs on rock n’ roll, Garbage’s title track is rather “alternative.” It’s a modest, mid-paced thing with a nostalgic feel. It oozes 1990’s sentiment in the form of broken relationships, sex, and general sour feelings. I enjoy the fact that the song is so different than anything else on the album. Garbage should really consult their crystal ball as they may discover Bleed Like Me would be a good direction to head. Unfortunately, the album spirals into generic territories with Metal Heart. Seriously, Garbage, I appreciate the fact that you can rock but must you always ruin the rocking-est moment with inappropriate noise and overwhelming synths? It really is frustrating.
Bleed Like Me makes a reprieve with the electro-rock goodness of Sex is Not the Enemy. While not as immediate or catchy as earlier Garbage hits it is still one of the best offerings of this mediocre album. The pace is slowed with the piano-driven It’s All Over But the Crying. Once again I like the fact that it changes things up for a moment but unlike Bleed Like Me it doesn’t stay with me. It sounds nice at the time but fades into nothing the moment it finishes. In a way, I think the song is just too sweet. I mean, when did Garbage go adult contemporary? Boys Wanna Fight begins with a upbeat, loud, and distinctly electronic feel but it quickly disintegrates into yet another milquetoast song. I really, honestly don’t care about getting “hammered,” “toasted,” or “sh*t faced.” It’s a tired theme.
Two unremarkable songs wrap things up. Why Don’t You Come Over lacks direction. It is a musically schizophrenic thing complete with droning guitars and a crazy pace. It’s so ridiculous and out of control I can’t get a grip on anything about it outside of the fact it’s impossible to listen to. It’s the only officially horrible song on Bleed Like Me. The eleventh and final song is Happy Home. While not perfect, it is still an okay listen. It’s another slow, but this time mediocre, song.
Bleed Like Me is by no means perfect. Heck, it’s barely mediocre. The problem I see with it is that it has no identity. I don’t feel the band’s energy or cooperation. It just seems as if they got together and slapped eleven songs together. There’s no real chemistry as there was on the band’s first two albums. The only real good parts about this disc are Why Do You Love Me, Bleed Like Me, and Sex is Not the Enemy. The only awful track is Why Don’t You Come Over. The remaining seven songs fall somewhere between the two poles. If you’re looking to discover Garbage do it with either their self-titled debut or Version 2.0 and skip this.
Rating: 2.5/5 stars
Track Listing:
01. Bad Boyfriend
02. Run Baby Run
03. Right Between the Eyes
04. Why Do You Love Me
05. Bleed Like Me
06. Metal Heart
07. Sex is Not the Enemy
08. It’s All Over But the Crying
09. Boys Wanna Fight
10. Why Don’t You Come Over
11. Happy Home
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Related Reviews:
Version 2.0 (1998)
http://www.epinions.com/content_62651993732
Recommended:
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lambchops
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