Shirley and co have returned with their attempt at the typical 'difficult third album' with an even more typical indifferent third album.
The quirky industrial rock of their debut has gone. Though there's an occasional token effort for old time's sake, such as 'Silence Is Golden's jagged riffs, which leave you yearning for Garbage circa '95 but having to make do. It's much like listening to the Black Crowes when you ain't got no Rolling Stones.
'Breaking Up The Girl' teases the listener with history again, but while preserving the sound of the past, it's a watered down, wishy-washy reproduction. It politely requests an airing, unlike the screeching, ball-grabbing Garbage that would clutch at your throat until you gave in to that inevitable, addictive gorgeous rage they did so well.
The rest of 'Beautiful' is quite unremarkable too, suggesting that far more thought went into making Ms Manson camera-friendly than aurally pleasing.
The inevitable and uneasy eclecticism of 'Beautful's 'intelligent' pop sways from Bjorkian balladry with 'Can't Cry These Tears Anymore' to 'Cup of Coffee's' chocolate ad melody and strained imagery. Shirley's new 'do' isn't going to save her now.
All throughout there's an intangible naffness undermining each carefully crafted pop pearl; 'Can't Cry...' dips into a swooning Grease smooch, while the highlight of the album, current single 'Androgyny', has hints of Vicky Beckham on a good day, all dumb sentiment and sloppy execution.
The main tragedy of the album is that it's likely to be the final nail in the coffin of the Garbage of old. Gone are the likes of 'Queer' or 'Subhuman', there's no ummph or intelligence. In straining to achieve a smarter, more mature album the band have created the most tawdry epitaph possible.
That said, in the current pop climate, this will probably be the album that finally, fully, breaks them.
