Album review by Cecilia Pattison-Levi
Its ‘back to the future’ as the bands and fashions from the 1990’s has a new lease of life. New albums from Garbage, Stereolab, Skunk Anansie, Suede and Pulp, to the live resurrection of Oasis, to crop-tops, baggy jeans and checked shirts have made a comeback. It’s all a bit scary and tinged with age-related fear of those of us whose misspent youth navigated that decade.
British alternative rockers Bush have also returned and have delivered their most raw, confessional and profound record of 12 songs to date with their 10th album I Beat Loneliness. It is an album that encourages the listener to face the demons head on and survive. The sonic soundscape stays true to Bush’s harder edge post-grunge sound but with those lovely rock melodies. It’s big drums, big guitar melodies, deep and driving basslines, great soulful vocals and some synth experimentation. It’s great!
The album commences with the anthemic pulsing drums and synth in the brooding song ‘Scars’ which talks of “paranoias”, “fault lines” and “seas of ghosts” as it likens scars to “angels written on your body”. The song hits like a flash of lightning as the “pain is release” with the thunder of its guitars, propulsive drums and bass. Next, the title track crashes in with distorted guitar riff and a huge drum beat before the synths underpin ‘I Beat Loneliness’ and its cinematic sounding wall of noise. Gavin Rossdale’s best vocals on the record are delivered in this song. The epic bridge gives way for the last chorus which extends, before ultimately ending with repetition of “I beat loneliness” as the band slows down to give the listener one hell of a big finish. Then, the menacing ‘The Land Of Milk And Honey’ is the catchiest song on the album. It is equally dark and aggressive and it talks about “fire does what it wants” and if you love a guitar solo then the one in this song is excellent.
The heavy driving bassline underscores ‘We’re All The Same On The Inside’ as the electric guitar, drums and vocals deliver the melodic chorus that will drill into your brain. The following song
‘I Am Here To Save Your Life’ has guitarist Chris Trainer’s explosive guitar riffs and this song really highlights his skills. The electronic wooziness and steady drum kick is fused in ‘60 Ways To Forget People’ which tells a story of betrayal, you can feel the vocals ring emotion in every lyric and note. The last song is this phase of the album is ‘Love Me Till The Pain Fades’ which talks of the “kiss the storm clouds”, embraces the “stormy weather” and “minefields” of life and it is a call for love to bring relief to pain and solitude, all coated in heavy bassline riffs.
The dreamy, spacey, and mournful song ‘We Are Of This Earth’ brings a touch of echoing starry shoegaze and brings the angst down a notch. It is followed by the sombre ‘Everyone Is Broken’ and it is a song that is a slow, seductive contemplation of mental health and its melody is lifted by a fine sweeping refrain. It’s a stripped-back, gentle call for kindness and solidarity, with Gavin Rossdale’s sweet vocals in the chorus driving home the idea that all of us are stuck together in this messy life together.
A steady drum kick and chiming guitar lead in mid-tempo rocker ‘Don’t Be Afraid’ about the “freaks coming out to play” and a “wolf who wanted more”. The quirky electronic beats in the song highlight the lyrics about holding on to your rights and not letting people stop you in life: “the spotlights and the carousel of light and shade”. The song has a downbeat melancholic tone as it drips with emotion and Gavin Rossdale’s dulcet vocals. It is followed by ‘Footsteps In The Sand’ with its rumbling guitars and electronica. It sounds like an English traditional medieval song that has been grunged-up with distortion. It is an album highlight as it’s so complex and uses different musical textures to achieve the sonic effects.
Bush close the album with the reflective ‘Rebel With A Cause’ as the lyrics talk about “going dark” and “not wanting your wars”. The song is powerful, personal, angst-drenched with lyrics about being “so guarded to hide the pain” and how Gavin Rossdale wishes he “could change, but he can’t help” himself. However, it is a laidback chill song that has a cathartic ending.
Bush fans will love this album: the songs are “requiems”: darkness and light juxtaposed with an indomitable spirit that is full of fire that refuses to burn out. I Beat Loneliness has an intensity that smouldering through every note and riff, and it’s alive with raw energy that is also fragile and bonded together “with superglue”.
