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Garbage - Bleed Like Me

Garbage's mantra for BLEED LIKE ME could be "that which doesn't kill you only makes you stronger," given the emotional and creative upheaval this unit went through in the four years that elapsed between this disc and 2001's BEAUTIFUL GARBAGE.

Following personal conflicts and health woes for both Butch Vig and Shirley Manson, the quartet stripped down its sound and amped up the guitars to create an angst-laced album reminiscent of the Breeders and Foo Fighters.Apparently, bad circumstances make for great art, and this collection of songs is no exception. When Manson isn't purring lines like "Hey, baby can you bleed like me" over the moody synth washes of the title cut, she's striking a defiant pose over the Kim Deal-like bass lines of "Sex Is Not the Enemy."

Elsewhere, the echoing guitars and rumbling bass of "Run Baby Run" bring to mind a delicious fusion of New Order and the Cure. Vig's longtime friend and associate Dave Grohl even puts in a memorable drumming appearance amid a wall of guitars on the roaring opening cut, "Bad Boyfriend." Energetic and cathartic, BLEED LIKE ME is a welcome return to form for Garbage.