In summary:

Bush try to silence their critics by stripping back their sound, The result is Razorblade Suitcase, an LP which lacks the radio-friendly tunes which propelled their first album up the charts, but features several standout moments.

Razorblade Suitcase receives 6/11.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

If Bush’s debut album caused people to dismiss them as Nirvana rip-offs, their second album did nothing to change their minds.

Dropping in mid-1996, Razorblade Suitcase is the follow-up to the wildly successful Sixteen Stone, and features the #1 hit single Swallowed.

It’s an album which saw Gavin Rossdale and co. double down on the melodic grunge of their previous effort, but this time around they hired super producer Steve Albini to help them create a record with a heavier, much rawer sound than anybody was expecting.

In hiring such an acclaimed and respected producer, the band were attempting to shake off the “manufactured” tag which had been unfairly placed on them by the rock press. Sadly, it’s a move which only served to attract more criticism. You see, not only had their hired the same man who had produced Nirvana’s In Utero just three years earlier, but his minimalistic production style really highlighted the vocal similarities between Rossdale and Cobain which had dogged Bush for the past two years, resulting in much of the same criticism this time around.

That being said, there are some truly memorable moments on this record.

This is best displayed on the chilling Cold Contagious, where Bush’s rhythm section create a memorably atmospheric groove behind their frontman’s stripped back vocals. Other noteworthy efforts include History (with a guitar riff so catchy they repeat it in the album’s hidden bonus track) and hit single Swallowed, on which Rossdale ponders his sudden rise to superstardom with some of his best lyrics to date (“I’m with everyone / and yet not”).

Razorblade Suitcase also highlights the battle between Gavin Rossdale the frontman and Gavin Rossdale the songwriter. He has an uncanny ability to craft radio friendly hooks, but this skill goes against the core values of his musical direction. At times it’s fascinating to hear him deny his gift, dropping unnecessarily distorted guitars and down-tuned violins on top of what may otherwise have been potential hit singles.

Examples of this include Bonedriven and Straight No Chaser (both of which could’ve benefitted from a shinier production).

Elsewhere, there are several moments where Razorblade Suitcase frustrates the listener by offering up tracks which feature great verses paired with undercooked choruses (e.g. A Tendency To Start Fires), or vice versa (e.g. Mouth), plus clever lyrics being wasted in directionless tracks (“Sooner or later / Masturbate or lose”), and thrilling musical arrangements which are not given centre stage and ultimately get lost in the shuffle (e.g. the devastatingly effective final third of Insect Kin).

As a result, Razorblade Suitcase becomes an album packed with great moments, not great songs.

In summary:

Bush try to silence their critics by stripping back their sound, The result is Razorblade Suitcase, an LP which lacks the radio-friendly tunes which propelled their first album up the charts, but features several standout moments.

Razorblade Suitcase receives 6/11.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★