Garbage Returns with Strange Little Birds

Using recent fan letters and favorite childhood
albums from the ‘70s and ‘80s as inspiration, the band has crafted a sixth album that is deliciously fierce. Some 21 years after their groundbreaking self-titled debut, lead singer Shirley Manson sees parallels between that album and Strange Little Birds.

Garbage
Strange Little Birds (STUNVOLUME)

“To me, this record, funnily enough, has the most to do with the first record [more] than any of the previous records,” Manson has said. “It’s getting back to that beginner’s headspace.” This may be due in part to the fact that the band had no one to answer to, as they recorded it on their own label. The finest (albeit most somber) moment of Strange Little Birds arrives on “Even Though Our Love is Doomed,” a musical cousin to their celebrated James Bond theme song, “The World is Not Enough.” Fans of their more readily recognized guitar-driven sound should check out “Empty,” “Sometimes” and “Magnetized.” Follow Garbage on Instagram@Garbage for photos from their world tour.