Bleed Like Me

by

Garbage

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It's been four long years since Garbage released "Beautifulgarbage," their oddball blend of pop-rock and electronica. And somehow the energy is still there in their fourth album "Bleed Like Me," an amped up rock album that takes Garbage back to its musical roots.

Not that it came easy -- frontwoman Shirley Manson has talked about how the band barely made it through "Bleed Like Me," because of (what else?) band infighting. Fortunately, they seem to have channeled that energy to their music. It's obvious from the start that their music has gone back to rock, as the combustible riffs of "Bad Boyfriend" erupt around Manson's throaty vocals.

The songs that follow are steady if unsurprising. Garbage's sound feels like the band has worked out their own niche, like a slightly worn slipper. It's loud and rock-y with some catchy rhythms woven in. These are not simple songs, though -- for example, "Who Do You Love Me" is a betrayal/love song, where Manson accuses the lover of sleeping with a pal one moment, then wails, "Why do you love me... it's driving me crazy!"

Garbage dips into sweeping rock melodies, ballads and electronic sputters here and there, and those touches keep the electrorock from ever feeling monotonous. But the amps and roaring guitars rule the music, much as they did in 1998's "Version 2.0." Sometimes those guitars feel like they're soaring to epic heights, but disappointingly they always get reined in at the last minute.

Fortunately, if the music seems restrained, then the singer does not. Shirley Manson hasn't lost her power as a vocalist; even when her vocals are distorted or distant, she is still the center of the music. She wails, she purrs, she yells, she murmurs. And it all works.

Garbage doesn't disappoint in their fourth album, "Bleed Like Me." Perhaps the album's main flaw is that they don't forge any really new turf. But purely as a follow-up, it's a darn good album.

There's no question Garbage know what they're doing. Butch Vig alone is one of the most successful producers in the business. So it's no surprise that their new album presents a tightly crafted set of rock songs. You could say Garbage went back to basics for Bleed Like Me. In fact, it's based more on fundamentals than any of their previous albums, with simple guitar work and song structures. And that's not a bad thing; it's easy to throw on this album and rock out while you work/play/drive/whatever.

At times it felt a little overproduced, as most of these songs are no-frills rockers and might have benefited from a little more spontaneity. But the main thing that detracts from the album's replay value is the absence of any really memorable melodies or hooks. There's nothing to make you say "oh yeah, that's awesome." Bleed Like Me would have benefited greatly from some original guitar hooks and more variety, both of which Garbage are capable. As it plays out, many of the songs sound alike.

My only other complaint is the lyrics, which often sound forced and unoriginal. This is a definite departure from the compellingly abstract lyricism of their debut ("I am milk, I am red-hot kitchen.") or the stark emotionality of BeautifulGarbage. Here Shirley tries to reproduce some of that emotion, but it comes out as a retelling of events that doesn't say anything profound. When Why Do You Love Me abruptly transitions from blaring guitars to softly spoken vocals, she sings the sad but painfully blunt line, "I think you're sleeping with a friend of mine. I have no proof but I think that I'm right." And I cringed on Sex is Not the Enemy when Shirley sang the chorus, "a revolution... is the solution."

One place the lyrics do work well is in the shockingly candid verses of the title track Bleed Like Me, the definite standout track for the album. That one should have been the single, but the lyrical content was probably deemed too extreme for radio. Another high point is the rebellious opener Bad Boyfriend, to which Dave Grohl brings his excellent drum work. And the staccato guitar strum and reflective vocals of Happy Home make for a great closer, with a long instrumental of surging guitars and synths bringing the album home.

Long-time Garbage fans may find Bleed Like Me less than brilliant initially, but it's a solid production from seasoned veterans and it only gets better with repeat listenings.