Bush – ‘The Sea of Memories’
“The Sea of Memories” is Bush’s fifth studio release and first album in a decade. I initially became a fan of the English band in 1994 when I stumbled across the grunge-rock debut “Sixteen Stone” with unforgettable songs like “Everything Zen,” “Little Things,” “Machinehead” and the hauntingly infectious “Glycerine.”
Remembering “Sixteen Stone” brings back a sea of memories from a monumental year in music. Other classic albums released in 1994 were Alice in Chains’ “Jar of Flies,” Green Day’s “Dookie,” Soundgarden’s “Superunknown” and Pearl Jam’s “Vitalogy.” That same year, Kurt Cobain was found dead at his home, signifying the hastened end of grunge. While Bush may have entered the grunge scene well after its peak, they still managed to remain relevant until the band’s swan song “Golden State” in 2001.
Lead singer Gavin Rossdale and drummer Robin Goodridge are the only two founding members left of Bush, with guitarist Nigel Pulsford and bassist Dave Parsons being replaced with Chris Traynor and Corey Britz. The soul of new material sounds more suitable to be labeled a Rossdale solo album, rather than a Bush effort. Producer Bob Rock oversees a finely polished collection of catchy and moody songs that are propelled by Rossdale’s sophisticated, smooth vocals. It would seem as if the Londoner has it all: a great voice, GQ model looks and a strikingly beautiful wife in Gwen Stefani. Taking a cue from Rossdale’s 2008 solo effort, “Wanderlust,” the newly created Bush sound is stylishly slick and positioned perfectly for mainstream rock territory as opposed to the grunge-tinged delivery of earlier Bush.
While songs such as “The Mirror of the Signs” and “All My Life” possess that Bush feel through gritty guitar riffs, the album’s best material is aided by Rossdale’s melodious crooning on arrangements like “Afterlife,” “All Night Doctors” and the hypnotic single “The Sound of Winter.” Bush will be appearing at Pittsburgh’s Stage AE Oct. 10.