Bush. I Beat Loneliness. The American rock press were sceptical about Bush in the 90s, branding them “Nirvana-wannabes”. Their snootiness did nothing to stop the Londoners dominating US alternative radio. Smash hits like Everything Zen, Comedown, Machinehead and Glycerine – all from the band’s multi-platinum 1994 debut, Sixteen Stone – just infuriated critics more. They were too polished, too pretty (singer Gavin Rossdale is blessed with male model looks), so they were dubbed “bubblegum grunge”, and an “alternative boy band”. Yet success kept coming. Bush chalked up three US platinum albums and nine Top Ten singles. True they’ve swerved the charts recently, but these twelve tracks deliver a forceful blend of melancholy themes and explosive choruses. Rossdale’s lyrics address male pain. For whatever reason – his parents’ divorce, being bullied at public school, his failed marriage to Gwen Stefani – Gavin feels “a darkness I can’t resist”. He comes to terms with loss on the haunting 60 Ways To Forget Someone, a song about moving on, its grungy gravity underscored with dark synths. ‘60 ways to fall to pieces,’ he sings, adding, ‘Are you hurting lately? Will they ever break me?’ On The Land Of Milk & Honey, a number imbued with creeping menace, Gavin swims against a dystopian tide, ‘I wasn’t born in a cage, I am free to remain…I play to win, I still fail.’ The sombre Everyone Is Broken is a slow, seductive contemplation of mental health lifted by a fine sweeping refrain. Guitarist Chris Trainer’s explosive riffs are awesome throughout, especially on I Am Here To Save Your Life. They close with the reflective, anthemic Rebel With A Cause, something Gavin has aspired to be since his days as a pre-teen punk fan. Ignore the knockers. This is powerful, personal, angst-drenched and cathartic. Bush fans will love it.
Giveon. Beloved. He’s 30 but Giveon Evans’s songs are steeped in classic 70s soul. The US R&B star, who first got noticed when his 2020 song Chicago Freestyle peaked at number 14 in Billboard’s Hot 100, lends his baritone vocals to lush, Philly-style orchestrated tales of heart-break. Ballad Twenties reflects on the end of a 6-year fling. On Strangers, he’s the loser in love once again – ‘Yes, I’m taking this hard,’ he sings. His pain is our gain. Giveon has had 7 Grammy nominations. Next time lucky.
Joe Bonamassa. Breakthrough. The tireless US guitarist serves up a feast of feisty blues rock on his 17th solo studio album. Joe, 48, has the skill to make this historic musical form feel fresh. He opens with the tasty title track and never lets up. The ten swaggering originals are blessed with stunning guitarwork and heartfelt vocals. There’s funk, there’s boogie, there’s bliss. Jack Reacher would heartily approve.
Christina Alden & Alex Patterson. Safe Travels. The Norwich-based folk duo specialise in exquisite story-telling. Their utterly charming 2nd album mixes the personal – Our House, Etta’s Song, about their young daughter – and the observational. Alex’s harmonies enhance Christina’s bewitching lead vocals, and sublime strings compliment those finger-picked guitars. The beguiling Safe Travels showcases their charms.