Garbage: “Bleed Like Me”
THE CD: “Bleed Like Me” (Geffen Records)
PERFORMER: Garbage
After something of a suspicious absense from the music scene, Shirley Manson and the lads from Garbage are back with an album that’s as uplifting as having your car keyed by a really attractive hooker.
Bleed Like Me is familiar territory for a band whose home is the mudpit of dysfunction, disconnection and sexual obsession. All the relationships are unhealthy, obsessive or abusive. Everything is coming apart, but unlike any number of bland, sort-of-flavor-of the month progressive rock bands out there, Garbage does do it without resorting to feeling too sorry or apologizing for being weak.
Everybody needs therapy, but so what? You wanna dance?
Dancing is the easy part. Misery loves company. The music is driving alt rock: fuzzy, growling guitars, pulsing techno and club beats that are brazen, aggressive and suggestive.
“Bleed Like Me” is about about managing to function when probably you should just curl up into a ball and pull the covers over your head. It’s enough to keep going and pretty cool when you don’t have to brag about it.
–By Bill Lynch
