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The Science Of Things
10/26/1999 3:00 AM, Yahoo! Music
Bob Gulla
Ever since London's Bush stumbled unsuspectingly onto the American rock scene back in 1995, they've been violently maligned by critics and the industry. Naysayers insisted they sounded too much like Nirvana--and, hell, why weren't they popular back home!? Amid the enmity, they splashed down with the mega-selling Sixteen Stone, an album that introduced lead heartthrob Gavin Rossdale to teenyboppers everywhere. They followed it up with the even grittier Razorblade Suitcase, an album produced by indie punk Steve Albini, but the rougher approach didn't seem to bother the teenyboppers who already had their clutches in Rossdale. The melodies were still strong, and Rossdale of course, looked as debonair as ever.
Now comes the band's official third set, The Science Of Things, an unpretentious rock album that features Bush's characteristically strong melodies while building on the band's eagerness to push forward as creative hard rockers. "Chemicals Between Us" uses a Cure-like synth cushion to support some of Nigel Pulsford's sharp guitar riffs, while throttling tunes like "Prizefighter" and the maniacal "English Fire" may be Rossdale's most memorable heavy tunes. The band still resorts to sonic cliches occasionally, and Rossdale often comes off sounding like his heroes (the Pixies, Nirvana, and Jesus Lizard), but it doesn't matter. This Science may not involve much experimentation, but it's pretty easy to understand. Bush is a band worthy of its success.
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