Sea Of Memories

I really wanted to like this album. Bush had a profound impact on me when I was growing up and I faithfully followed their every move until they faded out in 2002. I was young when Sixteen Stone came out, but I was instantly enamored with its catchy hooks and the undeniable attitude bristling out from underneath every track. I didn't think much of Razorblade Suitcase upon its initial release, but it's since become my favorite album by far. It's not as radio friendly, but that record is REAL. It means something. Gavin clearly had some demons and was working through them. The result was a raw, unpredictable, and diverse collection of songs. The lyrics, the music, the production... it's Bush at the top of their game.

The Science of Things also took some time to grow on me and I appreciated it for what it was. They were trying something different. I think it would have gone a little better if they'd hired a different set of producers. Bringing in the duo who recorded Sixteen Stone was a mistake. They needed someone a little more adventurous - someone who could have pushed them to go further where they needed to and also reel them in where need be. Regardless, I still instantly had four or five tracks I really enjoyed.

Not many people enjoy Golden State, but I found a lot to love there. It's certainly their most polished sounding album (a little too clean and a little too safe) and while it never crackles as much as their first two releases, I never regretted the purchase and I find that I'm still able to revisit it quite frequently.

You're probably thinking that this should be about The Sea of Memories and that this diatribe is pointless. The only reason I bring it up, though is to illustrate that I understand a band's need to evolve and change. Bush has never made the same album twice and that's one reason I've been such a huge fan. I love that each one has its own distinctive personality. I've never expected Sixteen Stone II. I've never listened to a new single hoping for another Cold Contagious.

So like I said... I wanted to like this album. When I heard Bush had reunited, I was ecstatic. But then I opened up an article to read all the details and lo and behold... it's not really Bush, is it? I know this has always been Gavin's band, but has it ever been more apparent how absolutely vital Nigel Pulsford was to the soul of Bush? Look, Chris Traynor is a phenomenal guitar player. I saw him and Gavin when Institute came through Chicago and I was blown away. But it's a completely foreign dynamic now. I gave it a shot and even tried to convince myself that I was enjoying it... but halfway through TSOM I couldn't ignore the fact that Nigel's absence was as big a deal as I'd initially feared it would be.

I sympathize with Gavin's situation - Nigel doesn't want to be involved, but Gavin still wants to make music under the name Bush. But, this really doesn't feel like a Bush album. It feels like Gavin's second solo CD with the Bush name slapped on the cover. The lyrics are strangely conventional and there's a curious lack of energy to the entire thing. It just never really comes alive, even when it sounds like it's about to.

As several others have mentioned, the mixing is pretty dubious - but other than that, I wouldn't say anything is necessarily bad. It's just extremely underwhelming. For a group that's never been afraid to do its own thing, this is strangely unmemorable.

I suppose it might grow on me a little bit eventually, but right now my unfortunate conclusion is that it's painfully obvious that this is no longer the band that I grew up with.

Before I get started I want to make a note:

First I am a huge fan of Bush and of Gavin, I am writing this review because I care about the band and it's future direction. Secondly, this album could have been decent if two key elements of it were greatly improved/removed.

1. The production/mixing is awful, just really bad. I can't believe they released it this way. There is a really annoying "ambient" sound that is present on the majority of the tracks that makes it sound like all the instruments are being muffled or compressed. It sounds like Gavin is singing in the room with you but you are listening to the rest of the band through a wall on the other side of the studio. It gives the album a very generic vibe. Everything is very mid-range sounding, sort of like what you would expect to hear from studio musicians playing on a backing track for American Idol. There is very little energy. You would expect there to be the rising crescendos and powerful stops and starts that made the music of Bush so full of life, instead you get monotone transitions and ho-hum FX effects to fill in the voids. Chris' guitars are almost non-existent on many of the tracks and are instead replaced by a watered down sound that is so tame you find yourself forgetting when one track ends and another begins. It gives the album a pretentious "glossy" feeling that just doesn't sound anything like a Bush record should ever sound. Period.

2. Bob Rock has absolutely nothing creative to offer this band. Nothing. I blame him entirely for the vapid release that we ended up with. I have no idea why Gavin would choose to work with him again after the mediocre solo record he rushed him out the door with. It was painfully obvious at the time that Rock was trying to make Gavin sound like an upbeat "pop star" instead of his usual brooding self. It didn't work then and it doesn't work now. End of story. I can't get over how much better the track "End of Me" that Gavin did with Apocalyptica sounds than anything on this album. You could just tell how relaxed and in his element Gavin was on that track. Sea of Memories sounds just as rushed to me as the solo project did, the vocals are beautiful but stale, underwhelming and not fully matured into anything with the substance fans were hoping for. It's not that I don't like Bob as a producer, he has done brilliant work with The Cult, 311, Skid Row, etc. But when it comes to working with bands that have more of a grit or darkness to them his style doesn't transfer over well. Case in point: Metallica. Gavin, please for the love of god dump Bob and find a producer who will give you the time to let your ideas mature instead of rushing you. Find someone to work with that understands how to capture the energy you put into your songs when you write them. You deserve better. The fans deserve better.

Onto the review:

As many already know the fact that there is a new Bush album out this year is a bit of a miracle on it's own. Interscope Records shot down the first record that the band put together with Bob Rock citing it as not being "radio friendly." Message boards started rumbling that the first draft of the album had been leftover tracks from Gavin's solo project also produced by Bob Rock. Bush parted ways with Interscope and decided to go at it on Gavin's new label Zuma Rock Records. They salvaged part of the rejected record and went back to the studio agin with Rock to record 5 new songs. So with twelve songs finished we ended up with the mess that is Sea of Memories. Where to begin....

1. The Mirror of the Signs (3/5)- This is a really strange track to open the record with, it's a bit mellow which is fine but it sounds more like a track you would find much later on in an album than at the beginning. It's experimental sounding which is nice to hear but it also lacks imagination and is forgotten easily as soon as it's over. The lyrics are strong but their delivery needs improvement, same with the music, it's good but it sounds unsure if it should commit to the style of the song or try something different. It's close but it's just not all there yet. Wish they would have kept trying a little longer.

2. The Sound of Winter (5/5)- Solid track, the first one of three on the album that sounds like an actual Bush record. It's a little bit of Razorblade Suitcase a little bit Sixteenstone and shows that Gavin still has it, it being an ability to write a song that sounds hungry and lean at the same time. The only tarnish is the meager mixing, dosing out the goodness in spoonfuls instead of shovel-loads.

3. All My Life (5/5)- This is the second track on the record that sounds like the old band. Chris opens up with a big riff that sounds reminiscent of the standup work he did on the Institute record. The drums which you can finally hear clearly are fantastic, they drive the song just like you would expect from the band known for it's energetic live sound. I think this should have been the track to open the record. I saw a video of them playing it live and it kills. It's a great track other than the over processed ending that gives it a awkward feeling decrescendo.

4. The Afterlife (3/5)- This track was really the first hint that the direction that Bob Rock was taking the band in was not going to work. This was released as the first single from the album that Interscope scraped after the song failed to make it on to any of the charts. When the song hit the web fans had mixed reactions but ultimately decided that the vocals sounded contrived and too "poppy." I saw several fans post that they didn't understand why Gavin sounded like he was singing like "Ricky Martin" instead of himself. It was not a good first impression for fans and left many wondering if having the band reunite was a good idea. It's not that the song is bad, the problem is that it sounds like it was arranged for someone like Kelly Clarkson to sing instead of an alternative rock band. The premise of it works, the lyrics are striking and beautiful. Sadly it comes off sounding like they are trying too hard to write a single instead of making something meaningful. The overall "gloss" of the track just does not work at all with the haunting message of the song.

5. All Night Doctors (2/5)- This song is beautiful, it may in fact be one of the finest vocal performances Gavin has ever pulled off. The problem is that it is NOT a Bush song. It's obviously a solo record song. Put it where it belongs. NOT on a Bush album. Also the echo effects Gavin's vocal are tacky, get rid of them. That's Protools 101 type stuff for fooling around in the studio, not the kind of sound you put on a finished track for an album.

6. Baby Come Home (1/5)- Again this is obviously a reheated leftover for a solo album. It has no business being on a Bush record. Gavin comes off sounding whiny and confused as to whether or not he knows where he wants to take the song lyrically. He keeps ending up in a chorus that sounds like it was written for Shania Twain while stumbling between verses that almost sound believable but never amount to anything. The band sounds almost completely forgettable in the background. I wonder if they even remember recording this track. This has my vote for the worst track ever put on a Bush album. I did take the re-mix album into consideration before voting.

7. Red Light (2/5)- I had always heard that some of the very early unreleased Bush recordings (before they "found" their sound) sounded a lot like INXS. This track sounds like it might have come from those early days. It's monotone cadence is certainly stuck somewhere in a previous decade. I can almost imagine Michael Hutchence's voice over some of the lyrics but I refuse to believe he could have made them sound so boring. For some reason Gavin sounds like he is ending the verses as if they are questions instead of statements. It's just another medium-tempo track that never gets to a point of sounding remotely bold before it fades off into distant obscurity. It sounds like something you would expect from a band searching for it's sound instead of a multi-platinum selling act. One of many disappointments on the album.

8. She's a Stallion (2/5)- Gavin breaks out his best Bono impersonation for this strangely repetitive U2 sounding track. It seriously sounds like it could have been a B-side on one of the singles from Achtung Baby. That's both good and bad. It seems like it might go somewhere but instead it gets more and more confusing and repetitive. I can't imagine trying to listen to it live, it would sound like a mess. I think there might be a good song buried somewhere in this track but it sounds so rushed and slapped together that by the time you get to the end of it you are just glad it's over. It really needs to be reworked into something more mature sounding with a rhythm section that doesn't sound like a drum machine. You have Robin Goodridge behind the skins for crying out loud, use him!

9. I Believe In You (2/5)- Despite a chorus that starts with vocals that sound like Eddy Vedder singing a Hallmark Card (Why?) and ends with some of the most promising Bush sounding lyrics on the whole album this track is just boring. Which is sad because it has a lot of promise. To say it will drive you mild is to be polite. It once again sounds like an idea that never matured into anything. It's a bit like the song Prizefighter from the Science of Things except there is no real hook and the verse lyrics are evasive and dull. The mixing is the final nail in the coffin for this track. The guitars could be grinding and severe giving the track much needed depth but instead they sound weak and unconvincing. The key of the song also sounds odd, something is off, can't put my finger on it.

10. Stand Up (3/5)- This song is so close to greatness it can almost taste it. It sounds like it could have been on the Institute record or maybe it was written during those recording sessions. Parts of it are really fantastic, moments of it have an exciting energy that makes you wish the rest of the album sounded like this track. But it's also a big tease. As soon as you get excited it drops you into a quagmire of a pre/post choruses that sound like stale Wanderlust leftovers. You get to hear just a little bit of how nasty Chris can get on a guitar but as soon as things get interesting he gets completely drowned out by the of the rest of the music. Oh well, it was fun while it lasted.

11. Heart of the Matter (5/5)- This is the last of 3 songs on the album that actually sound like a Bush song. Gavin mesmerizes vocally weaving a tight cadence of vocals with great strength- I don't think I've heard the like since The Science of Things. If the whole album was full of tracks like this the shoddy mixing could almost be forgivable. The band really sounds and moves like a single unit on this track which is very exciting. If there was any doubt that the new band members were capable of producing powerful grooves like their predecessors this track should clear the air.

12. Be Still My Love (2/5)- Another song that should be on a solo album. Gavin delivers a solid vocal but...ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ... seriously. This is NOT a Bush song. This song sounds quite a bit like something Sting would do on one of his solo albums. It's a very well written song, in fact I think it's too well written for this album if that makes sense. The production is somewhere between Phil Collins and Peter Gabriel, it clearly sounds dated. It is not anywhere in the ballpark of the production quality of a song like Letting The Cables Sleep. If you didn't already feel yourself drifting off somewhere between tracks 5-8 this is the one that will finish the job. Not a strong way to finish any album.

There is one very obvious gaping hole in this record and that hole is named Nigel. You never know how much one member of a band is integral until they are gone. The album is missing that certain moody atmosphere of english class and thrash that Mr. Pulsford so consistently delivered for four great albums. Chris is a talented guitarist, so it's nothing on him, he plays his part well and when you can actually hear what he is doing on the album it's a brilliant mix of percussion and clash that gives propulsion to tracks that would otherwise fall flat. But Nigel was like the sunset in August, he was the perfect balance between the bright summer sounds that lit up the sky and the deep foreboding autumn undertones that beckoned on the twilight into blackness. Chris brings a sound to Bush but Nigel brought a feeling.

Also missing are the great standout bass lines from Dave, who used to subtly set the undertones for the darkness on so many memorable Bush tracks. The three times you can actually hear Corey on the record he sounds great, almost like a great punk style bass that really gets aggressive on the low end. He gets so lost in the mix on most of the tracks that you can barely tell if he is even playing or not. Robin is ever the same, a precise machine you could set a watch to, built with the sole purpose of punishing any drumhead so foolish as to sit itself down in front of him. The production/mixing for the drums is all over the map. Sometimes it's almost loud but most of the time it's so soft that you can barely make it out. It's a pity and a crime to the fans, especially considering who is sitting behind the kit.

Gavin needs to decide if he wants to be Gavin F'n Rossdale and make rock records or if he wants to be Robbie Williams and make pop records. He's clearly talented enough to go in either direction but going in both directions is not working. It's making everything feel lukewarm and reheated. Sea of Memories is not enough like any of the previous Bush records to really make long time fans happy. Yeah, there are three tracks that sound like the old band and it's exciting. But it's not enough. It's also not really enough like the quality of the better tracks from Gavin's solo effort to keep any new fans entertained for a length of time. There are no clear solid tracks like Love Remains the Same or Forever May You Run. It puts the fans and the band in a strange place, somewhere in the middle, with each foot trying to take it's own undefined path. For a "comeback" record it's not a great place to be. I hope for the future they pick a single, clear direction, dump Bob Rock and get back to making great, focused music with the depth that they are clearly capable of.

I saw them live Sept 27, 2011 and they were amazing. Gavin was literally screaming like a madman during the Sea of Memories tracks and I thought it was done so well that it didn't even sound like it came off of Sea of Memories. The tracks had so much life to them and I thought it was great while thinking how much better the album would have been if Gavin took his live performance intensity and passion into a record. Thank goodness Bob Rock doesn't follow them around on Tour.
I bought the album out of loyalty and with hesitation. Without Nigel's guitar it's just not a Bush album and after some thought, Dave was essential as well. This isn't an Institute record, or a solo record, nor is it a Bush record. I'm not sure what it is but Bob Rock needs to go and the others Brits need to return.

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