Marking their 30th Anniversary as a band, their 8th album comes four years after the well received No Gods No Masters.

You can’t underestimate the seismic wave of Garbage’s self titled debut album back in 1995. They arrived with a fully formed sense of identity, a band member, Butch Vig, with a huge production reputation having produced Nirvana’s legendary ‘Nevermind’ album and in Shirley Manson had a lead singer icon in the making. Tracks like ‘Queer’ would have been unthinkable a decade earlier. ‘Only Happy When It Rains’ was a superbly engineered piece of indie-rock. It was ‘Stupid Girl’ that exploded them into the big leagues, one of those tracks that just made you stop what you were doing the first time you heard it and go “Who is that?”

Recent times have been less kind to the band. Manson ended up requiring a hip replacement in 2024 following on from a flair up of an injury first caused by falling off stage in 2016. The music press have at times been savage in referencing their advancing years, particularly Manson in a way you could not imagine Mick Jagger would ever get treated. Manson is the youngest of the band at 58. Butch Vig is 69. Age has no bearing on their newest release that retains the core elements of their sound and is almost as fresh now as ever. It probably helps that their rock was so utterly futuristic sounding in 1995, they haven’t shifted much since then, but the rest of the world has caught up.

Shirley Manson says, “Our last album was extremely forthright. Born out of frustration and outrage – it had a kind of scorched earth, pissed off quality to it. With this new record however, I felt a compulsion to reach for a different kind of energy. A more constructive one. When I was young, I tended towards the destruction of things. Now that I’m older I believe it’s vitally important to build and to create things instead. I still entertain very old romantic ideals about community, society and the world. I don’t want to walk through the world creating havoc, damaging the land and people. I want to do good. I want to do no harm.”

Butch Vig says; “We used a lot of analogue synths and sound design on the album, as they seemed to fit the dystopian vibes we were all experiencing. We started recording the album with a clean slate, although given what’s happening in the US and the rest of the world, it’s inevitable that the madness starts to infiltrate the songs. But we definitely wanted the record to have some hope, some light, to convey the feeling that people have the power.”

The album starts off with lead single, ‘There’s No Future in Optimism.’ It is unmistakeably Garbage, propulsive drums, distinctive basslines and angular guitar. In the hands of Nine Inch Nails you could imagine this being more aggressive, more distorted and industrial, this being Garbage though that pop-leaning sensibility keeps the heavier elements in check. ‘Chinese Fire Horse’ is a blistering response by Manson to those critics of her age and appearance. It is a great track.

‘Have We Met The Void’ is a substantial work. It opens with almost dance music synths and a repetitive beat before Manson’s vocal attacks like some kind of female Nick Cave. The subtle shifts in tone and speed are powerful. ‘Sisyphus’ is an apt title for a track where Manson dissects if she has the energy and ability to rebuild herself after her hip surgery. The answer is a resounding “yes” and it feels quite empowering for it.

Second single ‘Get Out Of My Face AKA Bad Kitty’ contains strong feelings. “When I was young, I didn’t really notice how things worked,” says Manson. “People like to shuffle older women off the lot, because you start to see the chessboard in a way you didn’t when you were younger. When you’re young, you’re wanting to get on with your life, have an adventure, do what you love, and you’re conditioned by the society that you grew up in, so a lot of the time you don’t see what’s going on. Then, as you get older, you start to see how things are stacked up against some of us – not all of us. I am outraged by the way the world treats blacks and browns and gays and trans peoples and animals and women. Living in America over the last couple of years, the absolute war on women in America is astounding. All the rights that we felt had been secured are starting to get pushed back into the Middle Ages. It is something that I can no longer tolerate silently. It’s not just infuriating, it’s alarming. It’s frightening.”

Manson discusses the final track ‘The Day That I Met God’: “The idea came to me when I was recovering from major surgery and I felt so raw, vulnerable and scared. I was on the treadmill for the first time following an operation when I suddenly felt this powerful sensation of healing love around me – it was a moment that uplifted me. It took me out from what had felt like hell. The vocal you hear is the writing demo, the first take. Just me sitting on the edge of my bed, in recovery, singing into a handheld microphone. I was feeling so vulnerable and I think that’s what lends the song added poignancy. It’s really a song about mortality but it’s also an expression of gratitude. Gratitude for getting older, gratitude for the longevity of our band, for good health, for the great mystery and for the ongoing, creative adventure of life.” The lyrics are personal and powerful. They are married to the most radically different sounding song on the album. The synths are almost John Carpenter-esque before a woozy guitar line creeps in. The synths switch out for piano before it all builds to a strong crescendo.

Whilst this is not the absolute lightning bolt of Garbage, or Version 2.0 it is a fantastic entry from the band. It is formed by a group of master craftsmen and improved by the sheer amount that Manson feels compelled to talk through and deal with in the range of highly relevant and important topics. Old Garbage fans will be very happy with what they find here. If you are unfamiliar with the band, enjoy this and then dig into the back catalogue, you are in for a treat.