All considered, however, at least people were paying attention.

These aspersions have faded with the band, and considerable blame can be assigned to Bush’s desire to leave the mainstream sound. The band has shed the sugary yet sweet riffs that once brought songs like “Glycerine” and “Machinehead” to the top of the charts but lack the raw musical talent needed to compensate. Their effort to become avant-garde rock geniuses has fallen short, and, having eschewed the allure of innocence, they are left with no particular strength.

Despite the initially ominous sound of “Solutions,” the chorus, attempting to avoid any possible pop slant, fails to fuse into a cohesive whole. The rest of the record follows suit and, except for occasional glimmers like “Superman” and “The People That We Love,” creates little desire to be revisited. In setting out to write great rock songs, Bush has returned with mediocre ones.