Bush's latest album, "Razorblade Suitcase," is very neatly packed with promising songs, but will never travel as far as the band's debut album, "Sixteen Stone."
Like a neat little package, this album seems specifically tailored toward a stereotypical Gen-X audience.
"Sixteen Stone" rocketed the band to the top of the charts with three perfectly timed hit singles, "Everything Zen," "Machine Head," and "Glycerine."
Gavin Rossdale, the band's resident singer and sex-symbol, added fuel to their success by adorning the lockers of teenage girls across the country.
This past Saturday Bush performed on Saturday Night Live, where they were welcomed by screaming girls reminding us of the Beatles' first appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show.
Rossdale and the boys bounced around on stage like rock stars performing their hit single "Swallowed."
Of course it is difficult to match the strength with which Bush began, so "Razorblade Suitcase" seems to be a disappointment, suffering from a problem many other artists experience -- sophomore jinx.
This album is somewhat different from the first, but very characteristically Bush.
The overall sound of it is much heavier -- straying from the grungy, "alternative" genre with which they started, despite their partnership with Nirvana's producer, Steve Albini.
Upon hearing these 13 tracks for the first time, I was left wondering if I had set the CD player on repeat.
Song after song celebrates Rossdale's typical disenchantment with life. While he wallows in his self pity, one can't help but be thankful that it's a good thing he does not work in a post office.
His nihilistic vocals are backed by an army of grinding guitars and clashing drums. The lyrics are often punctuated by piercing guitar riffs, which have been set up by the booming drums.
Bush's record company Trauma Records, a division of Interscope, has been promoting the single "Swallowed," full force since October 30. The song is immediately recognizable when heard on the album.
It follows the same pattern as the rest of Bush's hit songs, which build to a climax and linger on a single repeating phrase. This song seems illegitimately hyped -- it is mediocre at best.
"Mouth," the seventh track on the album, is worthy of the hype invested in "Swallowed." The music drops away and returns indiscriminately, leaving the listener with Rossdale's pleading voice.
A song about tortured love, "Mouth" conveys passion and a certain degree of sincerity. However, it suffers from the disease which cripples the rest of their music -- repetition.
Rossdale's torment comes across most sincerely in "Straight No Chaser," and "Bonedriven," in which a team of weeping violins support Rossdale's pleading voice.
These two tunes also rely heavily on moments of quiet in which Rossdale's voice reaches and cracks on its self-supported tune.
To top it all off, the art on the album is not very interesting. Each page has some sort of flaming picket board, upon which are inscribed either the letters spelling Bush, or Rossdale's picture.
A very pretentious thing to include, indeed.
Of course, the album liner notes also give information on how to join the fan club, and an invitation to surf the band's on-line Web site, which is a necessity for a band so heavily touted by Music Television.
It is clear that this album does not measure up to "Sixteen Stone," but one should not dismiss it immediately. We are bound to hear more of its songs on the radio, and see plenty of interviews with Rossdale on MTV.
Bush has cleverly tapped into our zeitgeist by using a sexual, melodramatic English singer as their tool. As long as teenagers continue to idolize rock stars, Bush will sell albums.
A critic's copy of Bush's new album was provided by the Dartmouth Bookstore.
