Something Has Got Distorted
They tell me it is four years since Bush last recorded an album, really? But then again Bush were never really big here in the UK, even though they were a British band, but on the other side of the pond they were massive. So former Bush frontman Gavin Rossdale, is stepping up to the mic this time with a brand new band called Institute. Who is Gavin Rossdale, I hear you say, well he is Mr Gwen Stefani!
I am very sure that fans of Bush will be able to pick over Institute and see some Bush influences, maybe even the skeleton. But there is more to this band than there was to Bush, there seems to be a far heavier sound to them, whether that is a good or bad thing we shall wait and see. Compared to what Rossdale has done before this is a far more experimental album.
The songs on the track listing vary, which to be honest is no bad thing. 'Bullet-Proof Skin' and 'When Animals Attack' are seriously heavy tunes, if you didn't know who were making the music you could easily swear that it was a metal band opposed to rock. Both songs start with very heavy guitars, and a very heavy beat, something that makes you sit up and take notice. It is not the wishy washy rock sound that Bush used to produce. You can see the influences of guitarist Chris Traynor (Bush, Helmet) and producer Page Hamilton (Helmut), as there are plenty of stop-start guitar riffs. I like them personally, and I am sure there will be plenty of different opinions on that.
Then there are tracks that seem to be very much driven by the bass, such as 'Boom Box', 'Save The Robots' and 'Wasteland'. Which makes this album interesting as there are so many twists and turns and plenty of experimentation which makes the album exciting in that 'Institute' have not come with a tried and tested formula but have come to excite their audience.
This album has received mixed reviews over in America, and that is probably down to the fact that people are comparing Institute next to Bush, which is doing both a disservice. This is a fresh and new direction for people such as Rossdale and he should be applauded for continuing to grow and learn, while others go stale.
This album has great potential, definitely likeable, may take a while for you to get into it, but it will be worth it in the end. I am interested to see what Institute will take in the future, their future is in their hands and on this outing it could be rosey, and you never know this time they may crack the UK!