Bleed Like Me

Album opener ‘Bad Boyfriend’ finds Shirley at her most vocally embittered but lyrically playful, providing a rather joyous call-to-arms for anyone who’s ever found themselves in a highly unsuitable relationship. Such reckless behaviour is seemingly endorsed by Shirley Manson’s sexually charged delivery and the raucous and unrelenting pop-rock guitars that seem to coax her into such a volatile and apparently excited state. Single ‘Why Do You Love Me’ finds the band on a rather similar outing of wanton rock ‘n’ roll abuse portraying another scenario of a broken down relationship full of insecurity and doubt. However, Shirley declares "your sick of all the rules/ well I’m sick of all your lies" as the crescendo builds into an onslaught of a heavy rock guitar battling it out with Butch Vig’s commanding beats and a rumbling bass that transforms Shirley’s acidic sentiments to ones of affirmation.

Whilst a harder sound is fully endorsed on the record, ‘Bleed Like Me’ is still an album of Garbage’s trademarked loops and varied sounds. On ‘Metal Heart’, the band deliver an gothic orchestral-laced track of Tim Burton proportions, sounding like an industrial version of ‘Hammering In My Head’ from their ‘Version 2.0’ album. ‘Boys Wanna Fight’ and ‘Why Don’t You Come Over’ suitably find the band at their most rousing and entertaining, whilst ‘It’s All Over But The Crying’ and ‘Happy Home’ find the band at their reflective and mellow best.

Although rumours of a temporary split of the band during the recording of 'Bleed Like Me' have been confirmed by Shirley, it’s hard to imagine such a fun, enjoyable and carefree album could be the consequence of such negativity between the band. Mind you, as they say, the best thing about fighting is the making up after.