Bush keeps same old brand of Brit-rock

by Jay Boehmer
Staff Writer

The good news is that Bush is still churning out the same brand of angst-ridden Brit-rock they've been recording since their 1993 debut, Sixteen Stone. The bad news is its becoming less interesting.

Since their first album, the band has developed a rock song formula, now, for the first time ever, conveniently broken down into six stages. (1) The song starts with a loud, distortion-heavy guitar riff. (2) The other instruments join in at maximum volume. (3) Guitar subsides as lead inger, Gavin Rossdale, bitterly complains over driving bass and drums. (4) Guitar comes back in for the middle-eight, building up to the chorus. (5) Rossdale sings a somewhat catchy, albeit bitter, refrain. (6) Steps 1-5 then are repeated up to three times with a guitar solo inserted somewhere within.

After nearly a decade of recording and performing, this formula is still prevalent on their latest album, Golden State.And this is not necessarily a bad thing.

One song, "Head of Ghosts," is a heavy rocker with introspective lyrics and an infectious hook. The song, which wouldn't be out of place on Sixteen Stoneis testament that Bush hasn't really changed much since the early '90s. Other songs such as "Hurricane" and "Superman" follow suit.

While most of the CD's 12 tracks assuredly will please Bush fans, there are a few that break from the beloved formula.

"Inflatable" is the album's obligatory self-loathing ballad. The song is delicate with its acoustic guitar, orchestral strings and a brief guitar solo with, believe it or not, no distortion. There's tenderness in Gavin Rossdale's voice as he struts his reclusive falsetto. He seems to realize he doesn't even sound like himself as he sings, "I resigned myself/took a break/ I'm someone else."

Another deviation from their classic sound is the neo-punk rocker, "My Engine is With You." Rossdale tries to cram as many syllables and nonsensical lyrics into the fast-paced verses. The guitar follows cue, filling in as many unintelligible notes into each measure.

The CD is unquestionably Bush. It is armed to the teeth with distortion, volume and bitterness. There is no ambition or pretentiousness. It's just a British rock band who wants to be loud and depressed.