Does Garbage Still Got it, 20 Years Later? 5 Thoughts on ‘Strange Little Birds’

by Marisa Torrieri Bloom

When I first heard that Garbage was putting out a new album that evoked the band’s 1995 self-titled debut, I was stoked. Few albums take me back to a specific time and place like that record, a masterpiece overflowing with so many sexy, fun, cool tracks that I became an instant fan the first time I heard it.

This past July, more than 20 years later, I downloaded “Strange Little Birds,” Garbage’s sixth studio album, hoping to recreate some of those euphoric feelings. Of course, the context of my listening experience couldn’t be more different: these days, I’m a mom, not a college student. I don’t go clubbing save for a special occasion, and I’m married.

Given all of these things, it’s difficult to give a Rolling Stone-worthy (or Pitchfork-worthy) review, where the focus is purely on the music, and how it compares to other music. But if you’re a longtime Garbage fan who’s thinking about downloading this album, I’ll share my thoughts:

#1: Shirley is ageless. Lead singer Shirley Manson’s voice, not to mention her goth-punk appearance, has barely changed since the late 1990s. She’s still as breathy and seductive as ever, with one of the most underrated voices in the music industry.

#2: Butch Vig & Co. hold their own: After nearly two decades of making music, can Manson’s bandmates (Butch Vig, Duke Erikson, Steve Marker) keep up with younger, bolder contemporaries? In a word, yes! “Strange Little Birds” encompasses a broad soundscape, filled with a smattering of noises and pretty instruments that come together like a well-blended artisan coffee drink (or, as Rolling Stone puts it, “sheer guitar buzz and moody industrial texture”).

#3: ‘Strange Little Birds’ is less like ‘Garbage’ than ‘Version 2.0’: This record is angry, with aggressive songs like “Empty” that evoke pretty much everything Nine Inch Nails (post “Pretty Hate Machine,” naturally). I’d love for the modern-day equivalent of “Only Happy When it Rains” — a goth-in-disguise pop track with a fun, peppy beat — but alas, there are none here.

#4: There is no epic “#1 Crush.” If you’re dying for Shirley to seduce you with “I would die for you”-like lyrics, dream on. You won’t find anything that would fit a “Romeo & Juliet” soundtrack on this record.

#5: But there are still still a couple of drop-everything-and-listen tracks. One listen to the epic “Even Though Our Love is Doomed,” and I immediately felt redeemed for spending the time to listen.

Overall, “Strange Little Birds” leaves me wanting more. It makes me nostalgic for old Garbage, and the days of “Queer” or “Stupid Girl.” All in all, it’s a great record, even though I won’t be playing it enough for any of the tracks to slide into my “Top 25 Most Played” playlist.