4Play

May 4, 2005

Garbage - Bleed Like Me - Geffen
Four long years, one marriage breakup (singer Shirley Manson’s), and one band near-breakup (yes, Garbage) later, the quartet from Wisconsin-slash-Scotland returns with a roar, shooting this disc into the modern rock pipeline with nary a millimeter’s room for any hesitation. Deftly blending glitter and gear (computer gear, to be exact), the whole band is in top-notch form, from the confessional, aggressive murmur of “Bleed Like Me” to the piano-flavored “It’s All Over But The Crying,” the edgy “Bad Boyfriend” to the layered earworms of “Run Baby Run.” And, of course, there are the honey-toned, coolly confident vocals of Manson - with the exception of perhaps Gwen Stefani, there hasn’t been a modern rock female icon this strong or this - well, modern - since Blondie. And, hey, her backing band is pretty decent, too.

The Bravery - The Bravery - Island Records
The many rampant comparisons to The Killers aren’t completely unfounded where The Bravery are concerned - let’s just say they’ve got some killer influences (ahem) and leave it at that - but that’s not the complete Bravery story. They’ve also managed to secure a good grasp on Ye Old New Wave Sounds of Yore (er, meaning the likes of Duran Duran and The Cure) and pinched a little of The Strokes’ city-rasp just for seasoning. Rock n’ roll is something like 25% originality and 75% history anyway, right? So quit analyzing and just enjoy the many bouncy, trashy, windows-down-enjoyable songs on this disc, including highlights “Fearless,” “An Honest Mistake,” “Unconditional,” and “Public Service Announcement.” Who cares who was first - this is synth-pop done right. The more the merrier.

Kaiser Chiefs - Employment - Universal Music
Okay. First of all, the band’s name has nothing to do with either a bread roll or a German emperor. They named themselves after a successful South African football team. And now that that’s out of the way, let’s get to the part of Kaiser Chiefs that matters - the music. Urgent, danceable, and ultimately likeable, with influences ranging from The Clash and The Jam to early Blur, they’ve crafted an entertaining album with just enough jaunty sarcasm to keep things interesting. Wittily observant lyrics, singalong choruses, and childishly punk rhymes help danceable, catchy tracks like “Everyday I Love You Less and Less,” “Saturday Night,” and “Modern Way” become memorable tunes instead of just throwaway ones. Yeah, there’s been a lot of hype about the five lads from Leeds, but so far, they’re managing to live up to it.

Rob Thomas - Something To Be - Atlantic
Rob Thomas’ voice has long been the distinctive anchor for pop-rockers Matchbox Twenty; but he also proved that he’s an in-demand talent all on his own, working with the likes of Santana, Mick Jagger, and Bernie Taupin. In spite of these accomplishments, though, it still seemed like Thomas wasn’t really stretching, which is obviously the point of this solo effort. There’s a little bit of everything here, kinda like when your favorite auntie runs out of spices and starts throwing random things into the stew - which makes things a bit uneven at times, much like goulash. Sometimes it’s successful (the surprisingly Timberlakian funk-pop of “Lonely No More,” the arena-worthy “Streetcorner Symphony”) and sometimes it’s not (the average-sounding “My My My,” the Matchbox retread “Problem Girl”) but at least there are a few unexpected moments that will hopefully multiply on solo effort number two.