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Album Review
by Scott Sterling-Wilder
20-9-2001
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| 'beautifulgarbage' |
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Garbage: 'beatifulgarbage'
(Mushroom/PIAS)
‘beatifulgarbage’ captures the band in a rockingly experimental mood
If ‘Version 2.0’ felt like a louder, faster, bigger upgrading of their debut then ‘beautifulgarbage’ is something else. It is an experimental mixture of tracks, “schizophrenic pop-songs’, in Butch Vig’s view, although calling this pop is stretching the point a tad too much. There are elements of pop but this is more of a rock album with its freaky and eclectic scope of alt-rock, electronica, collection of detailed cyber noises and the divine vocalising by Shirley Manson who apparently has penned more direct lyrics, having “Figured how to say what she wants”, according to Steve Marker.
The 13 song set launches with a rocky-funker ‘Shut Your Mouth’ that is addressed to all the doubters that Shirl is on creative par with the other members; she is, providing melodies and lyrics, and if you have a problem with it, follow the title’s advice and simply enjoy the music. ‘Silence Is Golden’ expends on the theme to include the loved ones; ‘Untouchable’, with its cheeky toying with Madonna-ness, is a track that invites you to ‘Be a man about it’ and ‘Don’t go back behind my back, just like a baby’.
This Manson hasn’t got anything to hide but passionate conviction and invite you to be whatever makes you happy, be it ‘Androgyny’ or ‘Cherry Lips (Go Baby Go)’, dedicated to ‘The Terminator’ (her friend and cult-author of ‘Sarah’, JT LeRoy). The latter song, featuring a tuba-riff, is a “Third sex manifesto”, illuminates the Missus, but good old sentimentality doesn’t get overlooked in ‘Drive You Home’ or ‘Cup of Coffee’, a straight story of leaving. There is orchestral pop-gone-psycho in ‘Can’t Cry These Tears’ (hello Dusty Springfield) while ‘Til The Day I Die’ starts with a Bee Gee-esque falsetto-on-helium but turns out to be as fragile as a truce in gender-warring.
A whole array of moods, atmospherics, genres, crosspollination, is found here, all free of any creative restraints and swinging between minimalist rock and sonic explosions, perhaps requiring patience to peel it all off, layer by layer. ‘Parade’ is a huge pop song that should take the charts by storm and break that Bryan Adams record of being at the British Number One for three months, back in the last century; the song is a show-closer, powerfully epic!
‘beautifulgarbage’ rocks like a labour of love (for music) that so often is not the case with other mercenaries of pop industry; this is a brave album in the music world scared of the shadow of its yearly report.
8/10
Scott Sterling-Wilder
20-9-2001
Garbage’s ‘beautifulgarbage’ is issued 01 October, 2001 on Mushroom/PIAS
Wordage: 429; Mon., September 03, 2001; 16:29:23
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