18 October 2022 – album review by Emma Dilemma
In early 1995, teenage Emma fell in love. The object of her affection was a man with messy yet perfect hair, an English accent, a rock band, and a voice to make you weak at the knees. The man was Gavin Rossdale, and the band was Bush. Their debut album, Sixteen Stone and its tracks ‘Comedown’ and ‘Glycerine’ may not have been hugely popular in their British homeland, but it was welcomed into America’s alternative post-grunge scene with open tattooed arms.
Since its release, Sixteen Stone has gone multi-platinum and the hits have remained a staple on rock radio. It was followed up with the equally successful Razorblade Suitcase in late 1996, which gained the group more favour in the UK charts, especially with the standout track ‘Swallowed’. Teen Emma was seduced by the dark and tortured ‘Cold Contagious’ with Bush featuring heavily in the soundtrack of her youth.
The early noughts made way for pop and emo music to dominate the charts, and bands like the Foo Fighters took alternative rock to new places, while the post-grunge genre wandered in and out of obscurity. Bush experimented with their sound and added electronic influences to their third studio album, which didn’t enjoy the same commercial success of its predecessors. The underwhelming response to their fourth album would spell what seemed to be the end for the UK rockers, and in 2002 Bush disbanded following a decline in record sales.
After reforming (mostly) in 2010, Bush have continued to celebrate and grow from their original sound, releasing a further four records with moderate success over the past decade. If I am honest, I haven’t listened to much of their work since the reformation, choosing to stick with the nostalgia of those much treasured first LP’s.
And then came The Art Of Survival.
With this ninth studio album, Bush is back and as good as ever. Their sound is evolved, heavier, louder, and with something to say. This is Bush for the new world and 29-year-old Emma (that math is accurate, no need to check) suggests that fans shut up and listen.
‘Heavy Is The Ocean’ – with its dirty bass and mighty guitar riff – is the perfect opener to an album that, quite simply, rocks. The Art Of Survival weaves its way through the current unrest and horrors being experienced around the world, while celebrating the resilience of the human spirit in dark and troubling times. Rossdale explains, “Instead of being mournful or self-piteous, this is about the success stories of humanity’s survival against the odds. People just find a way to push through. We’ve all obviously suffered in varying degrees. I think the nature of life is the art of survival. Everyone is being tested all of the time, but we find a way.”.
The sound of this record takes the listener on a journey, encompassing all of the elements that have brought the band to this moment. ‘Slow Me’ is classic ‘Bush’ with heavy guitar and Rossdale belting out vocals that are crisp and captivating as ever. First single from the album, ‘More Than Machines’ – an unapologetic commentary on the destruction of the planet and Government rule over women’s bodies – bombards the listener with edgy riffs and loops. It’s in-your-face, modern, and refined, and it’s been charting well since its release in July.
At this point in the album I’m feeling early The Butterfly Effect or maybe even Cog. It’s giving metal, but just metal enough for my taste. While the heaviness stands out, it is peppered with some soft rock. ‘Creatures of the Fire’ and ‘1000 Years’ lend to this slower pace with more emphasis on drums and loops than the dirty guitar riffs.
Aside from ‘Heavy Is The Ocean’ and ‘More Than Machines’, the standout tracks on The Art Of Survival include ‘Kiss Me I’m Dead’ – with its cracking drums, solid riff, and classic Rossdale vocals, ‘Gunfight’ – full of anguish and defiance, and ‘May Your Love Be Pure’ – featuring a thick bassline in the verse and sick guitar riff through the chorus.
Of the album, Rossdale adds, “In recent memory, we’ve made major strides and shown great resilience in the face of war, endless instances of racism, gender politics, a pandemic, and a melting pot of what we’ve experienced. For me, The Art of Survival encompasses all of this.”
To me, this notion of overcoming and surviving adversity reflects not only current affairs, but the career of the band since its inception three decades ago. Bush has mastered “the art of survival”.
