19 May 2005

Garbage: Bleed Like Me

Fridae's Ms Mariah Scary takes a listen to Garbage's brash new release and uses up an entire bottle of Axe Brand Oil to ease her migraine.

Artist: Garbage

Released: 2005

As a strong advocate of the Enya School of Music Appreciation, Ms Scary has only two words to describe the brand of music from Garbage: noisy and noisier.

Fronted by the foxiest spokeswoman in stadium rock, Ms Shirley Manson, Garbage is back to rock the pop world (and Ms Scary's dentures) with a collection of 11 tracks that would not be out of place on the soundtracks of superhero-type movies such as The Crow, Daredevil and Blade.

Showcasing the at-times-ferocious-at-times-coquettish vocals of Ms Manson, Bleed Like Me opens with the thundering "Bad Boyfriend" and features way too much banging drums, guitar screeching and angsty attitude which left Ms Scary with a throbbing headache and a strange urge to slap on edgy glam rock make-up.

Having said that, there are still a number of gems amidst this collection of mostly forgettable eardrum-splitting songs such as the catchy first single "Why Do You Love Me," the propulsive "Run Baby Run," the power ballad "It's All Over But The Crying" and the moody closer "Happy Home."

Strictly for hardcore head-banging homosexuals.

Scary's Selected Spins: "Run Baby Run," "Why Do You Love Me" and "It's All Over But The Crying"