Album Review: Garbage - Not Your Kind Of People

Garbage's whimper-rather-than-bang retirement six years back was both right and wrong. While not in the terminal decline of some others four albums in, they were obviously tired. And Shirley Manson – despite her so-in-control persona – was maybe only just becoming a more creative element in a band dominated by the three highly-credentialed producer/musicians also in it. The hiatus saw the gents' credits appear on records from Green Day to Muse. Manson meantime became the very hot Terminator in The Sarah Connor Chronicles TV series, and worked sporadically on a solo album the record company predictably dismissed as 'uncommercially dark'.

Reconvening gradually, the result here is quite simply the next Garbage album. The elements are pretty much all back in place. The guitar noise is still widescreen and sweeping, the drums a balance of programmed but still big beat and attacking. Good example: Battle In Me, which has that rolling and building anthemic nature much like their The World Is Not Enough Bond theme. There's a familiar tone in the subject matter as well, album opener Automatic Systematic Habit having a cheating man encouraging that mix of hurt but pugnacious Manson can conjure so well. Control takes it softer, with herself cajoling before it all revs up, occasionally discordant, but still knowing where it's going. Sugar is breathy need, with just a little threat. But there are some angles. Not Your Kind is Morricone scoring The Addams Family theme, echoey but with some muscle.

Overall – if you liked them before, you'll most likely enjoy this.