In summary:

Bush’s first album in a decade was worth the wait. Continuing where they left off on 2001’s Golden State, Gavin Rossdale and co. deliver a collection of songs which are choc-full of memorable choruses and riffs, and emphasize Rossdale’s songwriting craftmanship. Standout tracks The Sound Of Winter and All Night Doctors are as good as anything they’ve ever released.

The Sea Of Memories receives 8/11.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 

The Sea Of Memories is the fifth studio album by UK rockers Bush.

Returning after a 10-year hiatus, it includes the singles The Sound Of Winter, which spent 6 weeks at #1 on the Billboard Alternative Airplay Chart, and The Afterlife, which notched an impressive 10 weeks on the chart.

The Sea Of Memories picks up right where 2001’s Golden State left off. It’s jam-packed with tight melodies, glossy production, and great riffs from beginning to end, and while it certainly lacks the heaviness of its predecessor, it more than makes up for it with incredibly catchy songs.

However, perhaps the oddest thing about The Sea Of Memories is that you don’t realize how much Gavin Rossdale’s voice has been missed until he starts to sing. Has it really been ten years? Holy fuck! It seemed like Bush were everywhere one moment, and then nowhere the next, lost in the shuffle of the nu-metal explosion which occurred in the early 2000s, and it’s fantastic to hear Rossdale’s voice climb out of the void on album opener The Mirror Of The Signs.

Elsewhere, comeback single The Sound Of Winter shows that the band have no interest in returning to the grunge-by-numbers formula of their early career. The drum beat effortlessly segues into place beneath Rossdale’s trademark vocal patterns, and is matched by some excellent guitar work from newcomer Chris Traynor, whose style appears to fit like a glove.

This is followed by All Night Doctors, a stunning piano-led ballad reminiscent of Glycerine from their 1994 debut. Possibly a career highlight, Rossdale’s vocals paint a beautiful picture as he discusses the uphill struggles of everyday life, and it underscores the fact that he is truly at his best when penning stripped-back ballads of this nature.

If there’s one notable gripe with this album, it’s that a few of the songs sound rushed.

Perhaps that’s understandable, considering it was written and recored in only three weeks, but it does allow some of Bush’s old annoyances to sneak back into the fold, after they’d been successfully erased on Golden State. You’ll hear a handful of tracks which feature great verses and a weak chorus (All My Life), or vice versa (the electric chorus of The Afterlife deserves better).

In terms of album flow, Bush albums typically start off strong, then hit a mid-album lull, before finishing powerfully. The only exceptions to the rule are 1994’s Sixteen Stone, which was weakest on the front-end, and 2001’s Golden State, which was strong all the way. The rule remains in place on The Sea Of Memories; there’s a handful of tracks in the middle of the running order which, while not bad by any means, are a notable step down in quality from the excellent opening quintet.

Things pick back up in the final third with Stand Up, The Heart Of The Matter, and the haunting album closer, Be Still My Love. The Year Of Danger also deserves a mention (the best of a poor bunch of bonus tracks on the deluxe edition); it’s essentially three songs mashed into one, and as strange as that may sound, it works really well and should have earned a spot on the main album over of one of those middle tracks.

However, I’m nit-picking here.

Overall, The Sea Of Memories is a great album, and Bush deserve praise for attempting to expand their sound after a 10-year break when it would have been easier to play the nostalgia card.

The more mainstream sound of this record can perhaps be attributed to the new-look line-up. Lead guitarist Nigel Pulsford, who was reportedly unhappy with how “clean” Golden State sounded, decided not to return when the group re-formed. He is permanently replaced by Chris Traynor, who filled in for Pulsford on tour a decade earlier. Original bassist Dave Parsons also departs, with bass duties being handed to Corey Britz. This “new blood” appears to have rejuvenated Bush, helping Gavin Rossdale to craft what is possibly their second-best album to date. It’s great to have them back.

In summary:

Bush’s first album in a decade was worth the wait. Continuing where they left off on 2001’s Golden State, Gavin Rossdale and co. deliver a collection of songs which are choc-full of memorable choruses and riffs, and emphasize Rossdale’s songwriting craftmanship. Standout tracks The Sound Of Winter and All Night Doctors are as good as anything they’ve ever released.

The Sea Of Memories receives 8/11.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★