Post by Josh McLaughlin on Sept 29, 2011 23:41:24 GMT -5
Bush
"The Sea of Memories"
Produced by Bob Rock
Released September 2011
Bush are back after quite an absence, with their first brand new studio album in a decade! The alternative/grunge rockers held quite a few hits in the 90's, including "Glycerine", "Machine Head" and "Comedown", but the question remains; do they still have it? Will " The Sea of Memories" revitalize the band and show they can still rock hard, or will it leave behind their "best years" in a sea of memories?
The album opens with "The Mirror of the Signs", which is very rhythm-heavy and laced with feedback. Rossdale still sounds great, and his lyrics of "what don't kill you sets you free" fit the band's situation well. It's a good opener, but never really pushes past second gear. "The Sound of Winter", the band's first single from the album, is next and it sounds just like classic Bush. Once again, it never really pushes as far as it could, and stays as another solid if generic song. "All My Life" is another solid track and the lyrics of "All my life I've waited for this moment" are a great example of the band's mindset. "The Afterlife" is up next; with all it's bassy goodness. Rossdale sounds great, and the song builds up to the chorus, which is completely and utterly rocking. A great effort.
"All Night Doctors" moves to a completely different beat; opening with a melodic piano section which works in harmony with Rossdale's emotive vocals. The lyrics are fantastic and moving. This song is great, and a definite highlight of the album. "Baby Come Home" has a good balance between angsty grunge and accessible radio rock. The instrumentals are dark and haunting; yet the song seems to stay light and upbeat. The presence of a guitar solo in the bridge is good, as not enough rock bands include them anymore. "Red Light" is another song that seems made for radio, without being another four chord clone. The instruments are tight and the drums are great in this track; and it draws a comparison with Kings of Leon to me.
"She's a Stallion" crescendos from spacious guitar and moving bass into a funky, garage rock sound. The song trods along without ever pushing all gears. The next song, "I Believe in You", is more upbeat and once again the instruments are incredibly tight and work well. The chorus is catchy and the song is solid. By "Stand Up", I'm left feeling as if the album is slightly repetetive; as most of the songs all push along in a seemingly similar manner. The chorus is rocky and catchy, but the song, like many on this album don't make the jump from good to great. "The Heart of the Matter" is hard-hitting, and the guitar and bass really shine through on this track. The chorus is rocking and well done, and I found myself singing along by the end of the song. The final track on the album, "Be Still My Love" sounds like a song you'd hear during the end credits of a movie. It is solemn and dark, as you'd expect in a song about lost love. It's a fitting ending. It's not the catchiest song, or the most rocking; but it brings closure to the album well.
Overall it's a solid effort. It won't go down as one of the greatest albums of the year, and I doubt any of the songs will do amazingly well on radio or other charts. It's still dark, rough and rocking, as you'd expect from a Bush album. It does it's job, and there are some good standout songs on it (such as All Night Doctors, The Heart of the Matter, The Afterlife), but at the same time I don't feel the album, as a whole, makes the jump from good to great. Despite this, I definitely enjoyed the listen.
7/10
"The Sea of Memories"
Produced by Bob Rock
Released September 2011
Bush are back after quite an absence, with their first brand new studio album in a decade! The alternative/grunge rockers held quite a few hits in the 90's, including "Glycerine", "Machine Head" and "Comedown", but the question remains; do they still have it? Will " The Sea of Memories" revitalize the band and show they can still rock hard, or will it leave behind their "best years" in a sea of memories?
The album opens with "The Mirror of the Signs", which is very rhythm-heavy and laced with feedback. Rossdale still sounds great, and his lyrics of "what don't kill you sets you free" fit the band's situation well. It's a good opener, but never really pushes past second gear. "The Sound of Winter", the band's first single from the album, is next and it sounds just like classic Bush. Once again, it never really pushes as far as it could, and stays as another solid if generic song. "All My Life" is another solid track and the lyrics of "All my life I've waited for this moment" are a great example of the band's mindset. "The Afterlife" is up next; with all it's bassy goodness. Rossdale sounds great, and the song builds up to the chorus, which is completely and utterly rocking. A great effort.
"All Night Doctors" moves to a completely different beat; opening with a melodic piano section which works in harmony with Rossdale's emotive vocals. The lyrics are fantastic and moving. This song is great, and a definite highlight of the album. "Baby Come Home" has a good balance between angsty grunge and accessible radio rock. The instrumentals are dark and haunting; yet the song seems to stay light and upbeat. The presence of a guitar solo in the bridge is good, as not enough rock bands include them anymore. "Red Light" is another song that seems made for radio, without being another four chord clone. The instruments are tight and the drums are great in this track; and it draws a comparison with Kings of Leon to me.
"She's a Stallion" crescendos from spacious guitar and moving bass into a funky, garage rock sound. The song trods along without ever pushing all gears. The next song, "I Believe in You", is more upbeat and once again the instruments are incredibly tight and work well. The chorus is catchy and the song is solid. By "Stand Up", I'm left feeling as if the album is slightly repetetive; as most of the songs all push along in a seemingly similar manner. The chorus is rocky and catchy, but the song, like many on this album don't make the jump from good to great. "The Heart of the Matter" is hard-hitting, and the guitar and bass really shine through on this track. The chorus is rocking and well done, and I found myself singing along by the end of the song. The final track on the album, "Be Still My Love" sounds like a song you'd hear during the end credits of a movie. It is solemn and dark, as you'd expect in a song about lost love. It's a fitting ending. It's not the catchiest song, or the most rocking; but it brings closure to the album well.
Overall it's a solid effort. It won't go down as one of the greatest albums of the year, and I doubt any of the songs will do amazingly well on radio or other charts. It's still dark, rough and rocking, as you'd expect from a Bush album. It does it's job, and there are some good standout songs on it (such as All Night Doctors, The Heart of the Matter, The Afterlife), but at the same time I don't feel the album, as a whole, makes the jump from good to great. Despite this, I definitely enjoyed the listen.
7/10