In summary:

Bush have finally discovered their identity on their third album. The Science Of Things makes up for lacking the hit singles of their earlier work by providing a much more solid listen from start to finish resulting in their best album to date.

The Science Of Things receives 8/11.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

You’ve got to hand it to Bush for not giving up.

After being unable to escape the Nirvana comparisons which had dogged both their first and second albums, the UK rockers were finally able to carve their own identity on their third effort.

The Science Of Things went on to reach #11 on the Billboard album chart, and lead single The Chemicals Between Us spent an impressive 5-weeks at #1 on the Billboard Alternative Airplay Chart.

It showcases a band no longer bothered about winning over critics, nor trying to replicate the success of their debut LP, and the net result is a blistering listen from start to finish.

As soon as opener Warm Machine explodes out of the gate, it’s clear that Bush are more confident in the fuller, thicker production of this album versus 1996’s harsh Razorblade Suitcase.

Nigel Pulsford’s soaring guitar drills through the wall of noise, while frontman Gavin Rossdale delievers plenty more of his trademark ear-jarring clever wordplay.

"Tread slowly for I know, there's a thousand miles to go. Without blinking."

The one good thing (trust me, the only good thing!) to come out of the previous year’s forgettable remix album is that it opened up Bush’s eyes to the possibility of introducing new sounds into their future work.

Where formulaic grunge song structures one ruled, now they are layered with electronic grooves, tight drum loops, and a sense of urgency which was previously lacking.

This is a feature of several tracks, but especially standout single The Chemicals Between Us.

Also, Rossdale seems to have ironed out some of the kinks which hindered the band’s earlier work.

Highlights include the fantastic breakdown section of the Gwen Stefani duet Spacetravel (“You’re scared of the government”), and the heavy-as-a-motherfucker The Disease Of The Dancing Cats which features the frontman at his lyrical best, delivering lines which range from the sublime (“Your whiskey talks louder, than most things I’ve read you’ve said”) to the ridiculous (“It’s all over for orangutans, looks like they’re back on the street again”).

When have Bush ever sounded this confident?

The answer is never.

Elsewhere, tight numbers like Prizefighter, Dead Meat, and Altered State highlight how effective the UK rockers can be when they focus on writing straight-ahead rock songs (a skill they would take to a whole new level on their next album), and the slower songs, while never getting anywhere near the heights of Glycerine, show that Rossdale is still potent when armed with nothing more than a guitar and a microphone.

Nothing is perfect, of course…

One of the downsides to making an album which strays from the beaten path and incorporates new sounds is that not all of them are going to land, and there are a few instances of this throughout The Science Of Things.

These include directionless rocker English Fire, and meandering ballad 40 Miles From The Sun; a track which starts well, but fails to build upon it’s own momentum and ultimately feels half-cooked.

However, the bad is far outweighed by the good.

Alongside the great material we’ve already discussed, The Science Of Things also features a couple of standout tracks near the end of the running order which cement it’s status as one of the best albums of 1998.

They are the brooding Letting The Cables Sleep (which really benefits from the superior production and went on to become a sleeper hit for the band, spending an impressive 17-weeks on the alternative airplay chart) and album closer Mindchanger, which layers Rossdale’s pained vocals (“We’ll never run when we’ve got all these broken bones”) over heavy guitars, looping drums, and a devastatingly effective mid-song explosion that’ll make the hairs on your arms stand up!

So while it lacks the commercial singles of their first album, and the rawness of their second, the consistency of the material throughout The Science Of Things results in what is perhaps Bush’s finest album to date – and there’s not a Nirvana comparison in sight!

In summary:

Bush have finally discovered their identity on their third album. The Science Of Things makes up for lacking the hit singles of their earlier work by providing a much more solid listen from start to finish resulting in their best album to date.

The Science Of Things receives 8/11.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★