CD of The Week

One of the iconic bands of the ‘90s Modern Rock era, Garbage made a big impression and garnered a die-hard fanbase thanks to their first four studio albums. Mixing industrial rock and rhythms with pop hooks and the amazing voice of frontwoman Shirley Manson, Garbage carved out a unique sound over a decade of music, before getting burned out on the record industry and each other. Going on hiatus in 2005, Manson attempted a solo record before meeting record label resistance to her songs, and tried her hand at acting on Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. A few years back, the band reconvened and began working on new music once again. Their fifth album, Not Your Kind Of People, is also the first on Garbage’s own label, STUNVOLUME, as part of their break from the major label world.

Album opener “Automatic Systematic Habit” kicks the doors down with an electronic-tinged rocker, while “Big Bright World” is a melodic rocker in the vein of “Special.” Lead single “Blood For Poppies” finds Manson in a soldier’s mindset, perhaps almost as a sequel to “Metal Heart” off Bleed Like Me. “Man On A Wire,” inspired by the documentary of the same name, is perhaps the strongest track on the album, as Shirl faces her naysayers with a vengeance. The eerie title track seems to be a swipe at music industry executives while the song also works alongside album closer “Beloved Freak” as a pair of anthems for outsiders.

Not Your Kind Of People also hearkens back to their self-titled debut by being fairly straight forward, music-wise. Every previous Garbage album had the band pushing their recognizable sound in some new direction. NYKOP is pretty much a back-to-basics record, offering no real surprises, just the sound of four musicians happy to be doing what they do best and on their own terms.

Garbage doesn’t have a Philadelphia date on their comeback tour (yet??) but they play the House Of Blues in Atlantic Cityon May 25th.