IN REVIEW: Bush - "Black and White Rainbows"

Any goodwill Bush built up with the familiar yet forward pushing Man On the Run three years ago is effectively wiped out on seventh record Black and White Rainbows. The aim seems to be creating rich, important stadium pop/rock anthems akin to the likes of U2 and/or Coldplay; however, with much of the performances coming across flat and dull, this ends up being a record that misses the mark handily.

The electronic flourishes that were minimized last time out are back again here and, while keyboards may be par for the course among younger, sprier alt-indie bands, they feel like a forced attempt at relevance here. To be sure, it's no crime to tinker with your sound and explore outside possibilities, but with very few exceptions the experiments on this record fail to prove much benefit to the songs.

Also, if you're going to run fifteen tracks deep on an album that clocks in just shy of an hour, you've got to bring more sustained energy than is found on Black and White Rainbows; at a point this thing just drags on, and sitting through it becomes more an act of attrition than an intriguing album experience.

There was potential here, but all told Black and White Rainbows is a tepid, toothless and overlong record disguised as a brave new mission statement. By neglecting longtime fans eager for at least a little bit of rock substance and failing to come up with strong enough pop songs to earn interest from a new generation, one can't help but fear that Bush is about to clear the room.

March 10, 2017 • Zuma Rock
Highlights Mad Love • Lost In You • Ravens

Comments

Year in Rock 2025

Alright, I've got some explaining to do. By now anyone who's visited this blog is well aware of how infrequently I've used this space in recent years; aside from the occasional fertile year of content, I really haven't posted all that often over the last five years or so. There are many reasons for this, which have already been outlined in previous apology posts; but, essentially, it boils down to my own laziness and the cold reality that blogs are, like Refused (again), fucking dead. So, I wouldn't hold my breath for a triumphant return to reviews, or even semi-regular posts, but: a) I feel like Year in Rock posts have always belonged here and, even though I've experimented with different methods of presentation recently and been satisfied, the "blink and you missed it" unveiling via Facebook stories this year was perhaps ultimately a disservice to the records I lauded. After all, cramming the list into short videos isn't too far off from ju...

Year in Rock 2023: Album of the Year #10-1

Now we're getting somewhere; the top ten, where there are no duds or mids, only bangers. Also, no more teasing it out; let's wrap this up! What I've learned this year from my ten faves this year is that it is indeed still possible for a dude approaching his fifties to more or less stay up to date on the new school. Of course, there are some listed here that got a boost from playing tribute to the old school, but there is an undercurrent happening in rock that points to the future. But, I'm getting ahead of myself; here come the champs. 10 MILITARIE GUN Life Under the Gun June 23, 2023 • Loma Vista Highlights Very High Will Logic Never Fucked Up Once Rising from the ranks of the still-potent L.A. hardcore scene, the debut record from Militarie Gun (following a trio of EPs) bears a dash of polish that's expected with backing from a larger label; the tension and energy remain, though, resulting in one of the catchiest hardcore albums I can think of in recent years. 9 ...

Year in Rock 2023: Album of the Year #15-11

Alright, enough messing around. Let's cozy on up to the top 10. 15 THE GASLIGHT ANTHEM History Books October 27, 2023 • Rich Mahogany/Thirty Tigers Highlights History Books Autumn Michigan, 1975 It's not easy for a band to come back from nearly a decade away and simply pick up where they left off; it makes sense, then, that The Gaslight Anthem don't really try. Instead, their sixth album takes a more measured approach that's somewhat akin to a juiced up version of Brian Fallon's solo records. I personally would have preferred a little more fire in the collective belly, but otherwise everything there is to love about this band is fully intact. 14 ROYAL THUNDER Rebuilding the Mountain June 16, 2023 • Spinefarm Highlights The Knife Now Here - No Where Fade Coming a long six years after the enthralling, expansive WICK , Royal Thunder reemerges down one member with a somewhat stripped down sound in turn. Having said this, singer/bassist Mlny Parsons has long been the s...

SOUND BITES

Search This Blog