The Science Of Things

When Brit-Pop was raging across Blighty and the market for the Seattle sound had all but dissipated, America welcomed this unfashionably noisy outfit to its bosom, making them superstars into the bargain.

Bush’s off-the-shelf brand of sub-Nirvana, grunge-lite clearly appealed to a wide congregation – their debut Sixteen Stone spawned five hit singles and sold over seven million copies in America alone – and though it's been three years since their last long player (the less than acclaimed Razorblade Suitcase), their prolonged absence certainly hasn't dampened down their obsessive US following.

The number of Websites dedicated to this lot is probably unmatched by any other band in the planet, though one site, helpfully named "Bush – A Band Not A Shrub" makes you wonder about the calibre of those fans!

Just why they are so feted is a complete mystery that The Science Of Things goes no way towards solving. Sure they can rawk, kick ass and they look good on the cover but, where's the beef?

Curiously, all 12 tracks here were written by Bush's head honcho Gavin Rossdale on a six-month visit to Ireland where he stayed in a mansion in – where else? – West Cork. The first single to be taken from the album, ‘The Chemicals Between Us’, is interesting if only for the uncharacteristically complex polyrhythms and clipped, buzz-saw guitar. The equally trenchant 'Prizefighter' packs an impressive punch too, while they go all mellow in a Chili Peppers mode on the downbeat '40 Miles From The Sun'.

But most of the rest of this is corporate rock of the most numbing kind – a fact which will doubtless please their adoring audience no end.