Bush ‘I Beat Loneliness’
Multi-platinum rock legends Bush are back in a big way with their tenth studio album I Beat Loneliness. There’s still plenty of fire in the belly for Gavin Rossdale and company with this album being just as bold as any other in their armoury. There is an overwhelming sense of fearlessness in their approach to this album tackling some really deep themes of isolation, mental health and emotional endurance. All themes that resonate strongly offering hope and a shining light to those fighting to find connection and meaning in some quite challenging times for many.
The band have not rested on past glories either and continue to push forward, even after thirty years since the release of Sixteen Stone it would be easy to go down the nostalgia path but being impactful and creating a collection of songs that by design are made to be felt and offer a sense of healing. That side, there is nothing about this album that would get fans offside as its one hundred percent Bonafide Bush. Arguably, one of their strongest releases to date pushing the boundaries of post-grunge and incorporating electronic elements through synths. Don’t panic, all the hard hitting elements are there.
Opening track Scars is equally powerful and bombastic, synths, big drums and guitars and the iconic vocal stylings from Gavin Rossdale sets the scene for what’s to come. The anthemic chorus is built with the live experience in mind. Equally, the title track is the centrepiece of the album. Defiant and resolute! Big guitar riffs and the cinematic sound is huge. Even the lyric “I beat loneliness/ Like there’s nothing left” sounds like an emphatic victory.
What I do like about the album is there plenty of light and shade, and whilst the first half of the album leans right in to their riff heavy post-grunge rock, the second half offers quite a contrast. The band explores stripped back arrangements on tracks such as We Are Of This Earth and Everyone Is Broken. With the emotive lyrical qualities of these songs it really does heighten the sense of solidarity and shared struggle.
60 Ways To Forget People and Love Me Till The Pain Fades are absolute winners in my book trumped slightly by The Land Of Milk And Honey with melodic hooks and such emotional weight lyrically encouraging listeners to look within and face their challenges to find their path to heal. Bush are without question still a force to be reckoned with and I Beat Loneliness is not about reinvention but offering a moment of hope for those who take the journey.
Album Review By Rob Lyon
I Beat Loneliness is out now through earMusic
