Published on May 11, 2006
Rarely does a band have the balls to name an album
after the contents inside accurately. Limp Bizkit did it with
Results May Vary, likely a play on what a Limp album would
be like without Wes Borland (awful). The Yes Album was a
perfect summary of what that band was about. And Garbage basically
rewrites their debut album but tweaks it a bit for Version
2.0.
Befitting the title, most of the songs use more
computer-enhanced production and more glossy production than the
title, which at least felt like an alternative album and fit in
perfectly in 1995. This one falls prey to the sophomore slump by
making a simple mistake — it does not build on the promise of the
debut, which to this day is still Garbage’s best work.
The sound, the lyrics and the feel is all 90’s, and
certainly Shirley Manson’s voice set against the pulsating
techno-pop is alluring. She has a voice perfectly suited for
alternative music and lends a bit of charm to these rather bland
songs, even if the music occasionally dips into rather obvious
teenage cliches (“When I grow up / I’ll be stable / When I grow up
/ I’ll turn the tables /Trying hard to fit among you,” for example,
or “Nobody gives a damn about me / Or anybody else”).
Credit goes to Butch Vig and the rest of the
production team for dressing up this record with tons of echo and
sweeping, languid arrangements that make the music just float by.
Unfortunately, many of the songs are repetitive and lack substance,
and often end up sounding similar to both each other and their
peers on Garbage. “Special” starts off with a promising guitar riff
but then degenerates into a standard Garbage song, which is true of
most of the disc — a promise that rarely delivers.
When the band gets a little edgy, the music improves
greatly. “Hammering In My Head” offers a rather annoyed Manson
singing/speaking her words over a sped-up techno-lite beat. “Push
It” is the best song here, driven by some great bass work and
ethereal backup vocals that bridge the languid verses and the
harsher chorus — at least, until the middle, where Manson breaks
into a Madonna-like whisper/rap over escalating electronic drums.
That two-song lineup is the best on the album.
“Wicked Ways” is Manson at her pouty Deborah Harry
best, but the band has a bit more grit than Blondie, even though
they lack the pop hooks to make a truly memorable song. The closing
“You Look So Fine” is a moody closing jam that shows off what
Manson does best, while the band keeps a steady erotic beat behind
her – this could be one of the best songs to get laid to that
nobody ever heard.
But Version 2.0 ultimately falls by the
wayside in its attempt to value production over songwriting,
leaving a lingering thought that the band intends to make the same
record over and over. Whether this one is better than the debut is
arguable, since both have their certain charm, but much like its
original release, the second version of Garbage is only halfway
successful.