As someone pretty much disconnected by their “Version 2.0” album and not unduly bothered with the more recent “Beautifulgarbage”, I’d rather given GARBAGE up for dead at this point and didn’t hold out great hopes for this, their new single.
So, while, “Breaking Up The Girl” may not quite be a re-entry worthy of Lazarus, it’s nonetheless confident, brash and a shagging sight better than the majority of third-single-culled-from-flogged-to-death-album victims.
Indeed, with its’ fractured intro, surprisingly sweet harmonies and a suitably sultry lead vocal from SHIRLEY MANSON, “Breaking Up The Girl” sounds far perkier, not to mention warm and human, than you’d normally expect from GARBAGE: the band who’ve previously turned stadium size machine-tooled cryogenic pop into an art form.
|
Actually, several plays later you’re hooked. “Breaking Up The Girl” really is the stuff of great pop: all major chord changes, catchy choruses and laced with occasional backwards guitar bits just to show off. Not only does it allow GARBAGE to breathe real, clean air, but also it makes them sound like a guitar band (and a bloody good one) for a change.
We can only speculate whether there’ll be more in this vein in the future, but for now ”Breaking Up The Girl” will do very nicely indeed. Consider this correspondent’s ears pricked up once again.
|
