Album Review - Garbage: Not Your Kind Of People

Garbage
Not Your Kind Of People
Rating: Meh

Seven years since their last album Bleed Like Me, 90s alt-rock stars Garbage return with a new album, Not Your Kind Of People, and it is as if they have never really left the 90s. The album is chock full of electro-tinged, guitar heavy tracks walking a fine line between Top 40 sheen and indie moxie, which is their bread and butter. The question that kept arising though with each play of this record is why after 7 years are they back, considering it never really seems that they've expanded beyond their 90s heyday sound? They still have the same issue they've always had, how to back up one of the rock's most charismatic front women, Shirley Manson. With her shock of red hair and half dominatrix/half sex pot image, Manson has always been the focal point of the band, with producers Butch Vig, Doug "Duke" Erikson, and Steve Marker always running fast trying to keep up with her. Each of their previous studio albums have been well produced, but almost too produced, as if every single note was fussed and preened over, until there is almost nothing real about their sound. Taking their cues from indie cult act Curve, Garbage stole from the best, adapting Curve's sleek robo-shoegaze fury into a more pleasing pop experience. And it was this tension between indie and pop that always fueled Garbage's success, making them standout from the rest of the pack. But too often, this sound degenerated into a bland mess, the music fading into the background, forcing Manson into the forefront, illuminating some shaky songwriting. Not much has changed in 7 years apparently, with Garbage returning sounding, well, exactly like they did 7 years ago. There is still a high polish to the production, Manson's voice is still strong and formidable, but there is just no sense of urgency or freshness here.

Strangely, Not Your Kind of People works best when it either goes pure pop or pure indie, foregoing the tension that made them special to begin with. "Big Bright World" burns bright, with fuzzy pop guitars and bouncy synth bass punctuate an atypical positive Mason lyric, meeting a man that sends "shivers up and down my spine/feet to the teeth/ inside this big bright world."



Two pop ballads also showcase Manson's vulnerability. "Sugar" takes a downtempo approach with mourning synth strings and atmospheric guitars backing Manson's tale of love for money,



while "Beloved Freak" (which can evoke images of stars from Lady Gaga to Marilyn) is a stirring piano led track about accepting your own oddness and championing it.



On the other side, the sinister and menacing roar of guitars and pounding drum machines elevates "Control" to another level, bringing a sense of force to the album that is sorely lacking. Manson's voice tortured over losing control of a relationship she carefully held sway over. With "I Hate Love" following closely behind with chugging beats, droning synths, and air raid guitars pushing the track faster and faster.



Too often, however, Garbage flounder in unfinished or under-realized ideas. First single "Blood For Poppies" fumbles its rather nice guitar parts on the verses with an almost idiotic half-rap delivery from Manson, which gives way to a sing-songy chorus complete with bubblegum pop "whoa-ohs" that could have been written for the latest Disney tween sitcom.



"Felt" plods along with pedestrian 90s alt rock guitars, murky vocals, and no memorable melody to speak of.



"Man on a Wire" attempts to add some PJ Harvey-esque vocal wailing over grinding guitars to add some punch, but weak lyrics derail any sort of engagement with the track.



Only on the somewhat silly, yet highly catchy number "Automatic Systematic Habit" does the band light up, working the edges like a pro, moving from a dark, throbbing series of verses into an ear worm of a chorus.



After listening to Not Your Kind of People, the question posed above is never fully answered. There really seems to be no concrete reason why Garbage has returned. Certainly, these tracks don't do anything to lessen the impact of their earlier work, but neither does they do anything to build off them. Stasis is not really a good thing for any band, but that is what Garbage seems to be in, and until they figure out what to do with their somewhat dated sound, that is where they will remain.

Rating Scale:

Chilfos: masterpiece; coolest thing I've heard in ages.

Woof Daddy: excellent; just a hair away from being a masterpiece.

Grrrr: very good; will definitely be considered for my top releases of the year.

Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It: good; definitely invites further listens and piques one's interest for more material.

Meh: not horrible, but certainly not great; could have either been polished, trimmed, or re-thought.

Jeez Lady: what the hell happened? Just plain bad. They should hang their heads in shame and be forced to listen to Lady Gaga ad nauseam as penance.

Tragicistani: so bad, armed villagers with pitchforks and torches should run the artist out of the country for inflicting this abomination on the human race.