Bush – Black And White Rainbows (2017) Review

By 2017, the musical landscape was barely recognisable from the one in which Bush made their name.

Many of the bands who had once shared the airwaves with the British quartet had since dissolved, retreated to the nostalgia circuit, or tragically lost their frontmen.

So for Gavin Rossdale to guide Bush to a seventh studio album is an achievement in itself.

With that in mind, the sprawling 15-song collection known as Black & White Rainbows arrived not as a record, but as a celebration of a band who refused to buckle under the weight of expectation and criticism. More than twenty years have passed since their debut, yet Rossdale’s unwavering deterination to continue exploring new musical territory is admirable — even if the execution often leaves room for improvement.

A Self-Made Prison

It’s one thing for a musician to be pushed into unfamiliar territory by an outside producer with a chaotic vision — think Andrew Farriss steering Gun towards the ill-fated 0141 632 6326 — but things are less forgiving when the artist is responsible for their own undoing.

Step forward, Gavin Rossdale.

After sharing production duties on 2001’s Golden State, the gravel-voiced frontman decided that he was finally ready to take the next step by handling the bulk of songwriting, mixing, and production for Black & White Rainbows.

That’s a lot of responsibility — then again, if anyone could extract the maximum value from Rossdale’s admittedly narrow musical talents, surely it was the man himself.

Which is perhaps why it’s such a surprise that it doesn’t work.

Rather than build upon the progress made on the solid Man On The Run and The Sea Of Memories, which successfully integrated keyboards and EDM textures into Bush’s core grunge template, Rossdale smothers much of the new material beneath a thick layer of gloss that feels better suited to the solo output of ex-wife Gwen Stefani.

He would hardly be the first rock star to discover the pitfalls of too much freedom, of course.

Guitar god Tony Iommi famously lamented Black Sabbath’s refusal to bring in an outside producer for 1976’s Technical Ecstasy, a move that left him shouldering an unnecessary amount of work on a record he later described as a “no-win situation”.

Meanwhile, Rossdale’s childhood hero David Bowie was similarly scathing about the final sound of 1987’s Never Let Me Down.

Black & White Rainbows isn’t quite as misguided as either of those records, but it is frustrating nonetheless to hear Bush trip over their own feet after such a positive start to their reunion era.

"There's violence in the silence."

Nothing But A Car Chase

Alleys And Motorways

Speaking of the former Mrs. Rossdale, she provides much of Black & White Rainbows’ lyrical inspiration.

The couple famously divorced in early 2016, slap-bang in the middle of preparations for this LP.

Consequently, Rossdale largely abandons his traditional abstract wordplay in favour of a more direct, autobiographical approach. Several tracks offer listeners a snapshot into the turbulent alleys and motorways of his everyday life, drawing heavily from the personal upheaval caused by the breakdown of his marriage.

It represents a sharp left turn for Bush, and one that produces decidedly mixed results.

At its best, the new material is both sincere and relatable, with Rossdale sounding genuinely vulnerable on tracks like The Edge Of Love and Lost In You. Both benefit from the confidence of a seasoned frontman who’s capable of relaying considerable emotion in his voice without needing to resort to microphone gymnastics.

On the flipside, stripped of their usual heaviness, his on-the-nose declarations of love often induce eyerolls.

Where iconic lines from the past like “I’d die in your arms, if you were dead too” (from 1994’s Little Things) or “Are you drowning or waving?” (from 2001’s Out Of This World) were capable of conjuring up vivid imagery, cringeworthy modern takes such as “Still got mad love for you, baby” (Mad Love) and “Hang on to your love bugs” (Peace-S) will have you reaching for the skip button.

"It hurt the most as she said her last goodbye."

Ray of Light

An Unexpected Highlight

The soaring Alien Language is the unexpected highlight of Black & White Rainbows.

The track, a remarkably unvarnished ballad on which Rossdale addresses his personal turmoil in all its visceral sadness, sees the many pieces of his fragmented creative process finally click together for an astonishing high point.

Interestingly, it was originally excluded from the record because he believed its subject matter was “too personal”.

However, with its initial singles failing to make waves, Zuma Rock Records decided to re-issue Black & White Rainbows just seven months after release. The new version would include a brand new mid-tempo rocker titled This Is War, which they believed would attract more radio airplay and potentially increase commercial performance. They also persuaded Rossdale to part with Alien Language, for inclusion as the new package’s second bonus offering.

Musically, Alien Language revisits a template previously toyed with on the title track of 2014’s Man On The Run, but with far stronger results. Electronic textures surround the frontman’s weathered vocals as he confronts the brutal end of his relationship, before launching into a skyscraper-sized chorus that dwarfs anything else on the record.

It stands tall as one of the finest achievements of Bush 2.0.

"All the light around the world, went out once I signed my name."

Alien Language

Screaming Daisies

Sadly, Alien Language proves to be the exception rather than the rule.

Much of the record fails to connect its musical ideas anywhere near as convincingly, and its glossy finish only deepens the mire.

Hard-hitting rock numbers such as Dystopia sound wholly manufactured, as though each instrument has been dragged onto a timeline inside a music program rather than played by four musicians sharing a room. It’s a far cry from the ultra-raw Razorblade Suitcase, or even the professionally polished — but never overdone — Golden State.

The band do still create a few moments of magic, particularly on the beautiful trio of Nurse, Lost In You and The Edge Of Love, but all too frequently those highlights are buried beneath the same biteless mix that reduces rockers like The Beat Of Your Heart to something approaching pop-like flatness.

Worse still, the ridiculously titled Toma Mi Corazón, Peace-S and the Bowie-like Sky Turns Day Glo take things to cringeworthy levels.

Another familiar Rossdale frustration also returns: his tendency to pair incredibly catchy verses with choruses that don’t really go anywhere. The underwhelming Mad Love, Nothing But A Car Chase and Ravens are particularly guilty of letting themselves down here, and even aforementioned highlights like Nurse and Lost In You manage to promise considerably more in their verses than their choruses ultimately deliver.

The Voice Of A Uninterested Generation

2016 was a busy year for Gavin Rossdale.

Alongside a very public divorce and preparations for this record, he accepted a coaching role on ITV’s newly acquired The Voice UK, joining a high-profile panel alongside will.i.am, Jennifer Hudson and Sir Tom Jones.

In doing so, he provided Bush with an enormous opportunity — a chance to finally introduce themselves to millions of British viewers, after famously struggling to replicate their massive American success at home during their mid-’90s peak.

Rossdale later admitted that the role was a key driver in his decision to pursue a mainstream sound on Black & White Rainbows, believing it would help the band capitalise on their newfound television exposure.

Unfortunately, the gamble didn’t pay off.

Such was his anonymity in his native UK, Rossdale’s appointment was met with public confusion. Meanwhile, longtime fans were annoyed to see ITV billing them as Bush with Gavin Rossdale, implying that the other three musicians had been demoted to hired hands.

Things got even worse for Bush (sorry, Bush with Gavin Rossdale) when they were invited to perform Mad Love live on the show in March 2017.

Coming just one day after the album’s release, this prime time slot should have been the perfect launchpad.

Instead, Rossdale cut a nervous figure on stage, his trademark jagged rock vocals laid bare before an audience accustomed to technically pristine singing. He delivered an unnecessarily energetic performance which seemed jarringly out of place on the sombre track, prompting an awkwardly muted response from viewers.

And with that, Bush’s uphill battle for British validation rolled on.

Bush – Black And White Rainbows

It’s difficult to argue with Gavin Rossdale’s assessment that the breakdown of his marriage led to “bruised music”.

Interestingly, the brusing and emotional weight isn’t what ultimately lets Black & White Rainbows down — in fact, on Alien Language, it produces one of the finest moments of Bush’s rejuvenated career.

Unfortunately, that same deeply personal approach yields considerably weaker results throughout the remainder of the record, thanks to a combination of flat choruses, unnecessarily sanitised pop production, and Rossdale’s own decision to abandon his trademark abstract lyricism in favour of an on-the-nose storytelling style that, strangely, only serves to dilute the message.