Bush
The Art Of Survival – BMG
(Quite a few) years ago, the release of a new Bush record would have caused a near riot. In editions of dictionaries published in years gone by, the definition of ‘rock god’ was actually accompanied by a picture of frontman Gavin Rossdale as opposed to words. It can’t be easy being a band that emerged in the nineties in 2022. So much is different – and not for the better either. But ‘The Art Of Survival’ is aware of its musical surroundings. Rossdale’s voice has aged superbly. The tunes are eerie, doomy and emotive. ‘Heavy Is The Ocean’ is the opening track, and it drops so hard with such a low, swaggering confidence that it had Devo looking to see when Bush were touring the UK. And this is before she’s even heard the rest of the record. When Rossdale sings the word ‘hollow’ on ‘Slow Me’, you can hear the gravel in his voice that lead to Bush’s monster hit ‘Swallowed’ back in 1996. The lyrics are really raw too. ‘Identity’ picks up the pace, but continues with the considered words and bold yet at times vulnerable delivery which flows through the record. It’s more suited to a party of one (darkened room, headphones on) than as a floor-filler, but if you’re a fan of musical maturity and can cope with a few hard truths, then this is an album you need in your life.
Review by Jo Wright