Gavin Rossdale: Wanderlust - Review

Mixed reviews for three summer albums - Arts

On June 3, Gavin Rossdale, formerly of the band Bush, released his solo album, “Wanderlust.” After listening to the album, it seems that Rossdale had something to prove and might not have succeeded.

Visibly trying to find himself as a solo artist, he portrays his struggle in some of the lyrics and tries a variety of styles, which does not go over well. The best example of this weird experimentation is the song This Place Is on Fire found at the end of the album.

The first two songs are good enough to keep one listening, but not good enough to get one excited about “Wanderlust.” It is not until one gets to Forever May You Run, that one is finally able to truly hear Rossdale and his talents.

The best songs on this record are slow and with no pretensions, unlike the other songs where the listener will be able to tell that Rossdale is trying too hard. It might be ironic that in the song Love Remains the Same, one of the better songs on this album, the lyrics go “the truth is, I am done pretending.” His website, gavinrossdale.com, claims that “Wanderlust” explores a more mature Gavin, with a sense of freedom, emotion, and musical depth never heard from the grunge-era superstar.”

Overall, it’s a decent record with some hits and misses. It is more slow paced and mellow than loud and fast even though Rossdale does attempt slow songs here and there. You should only buy “Wanderlust” if you are Rossdale fan. If you are just looking for something new to listen to, keep looking.

Gavin Rossdale: Wanderlust review

Motley Crue, Sigur Ros Return With Anticipated Works - Entertainment - redOrbit
Gavin Rossdale — “WANDERlust” (Interscope): When his 2005, post-Bush band Institute failed so miserably, the now Mr. Gwen Stefani, Gavin Rossdale, must have been so scared that he ran off and immediately started writing “WANDERlust,” an oddly titled disc about being content that sounds a heck of a lot like an old Bush disc, which is a good thing for fans of, um, Bush.

Never really known for his music, Rossdale became an immediate sex symbol when the English band Bush first hit success on this side of the Atlantic with the Nirvanalite disc “Sixteen Stone,” which isn’t that bad a record, but rather a mediocre work with a few very good songs. But that really was the last of Rossdale’s very good songs, as subsequent Bush records got worse and worse until the group called it a day.

But this isn’t the Bush-like music of the early days; “WANDERlust” aims at the sappy ballads and middle-of-the-road dribble of the later years. This is clearly Rossdale’s attempt to grab the kind of success his wife got going solo. But Stefani made her move when No Doubt was still a household name, and Bush hasn’t had a real hit single in well over a decade, so Rossdale probably won’t succeed. But he’s trying here, trying desperately to make a hit single.

Gavin Rosdale: Review - Las Vegas Weekly

Annie Zaleki reviews Gavin Rossdale new album Wanderlust - 3 stars

Las Vegas Weekly : - Gavin Rosdale

Annie Zaleski

Thu, Jun 5, 2008 (midnight)

Poor Gavin Rossdale. In the ’90s, the Bush frontman was a heartthrob, thanks to hit songs such as “Glycerine” and “Comedown.” But after his group’s popularity waned at the turn of the century—and Institute, a new group with members of Helmet and Rival Schools, went DOA—Rossdale seemed destined to become merely Mr. Gwen Stefani.

These low expectations make the nuanced music on Wanderlust, his solo debut, a pleasant surprise. Gone are Bush’s crunchy generic guitars, in favor of diverse sonic detours into reggae (“Future World”), NIN-like electro-tinged rock (“Another Night in the Hills”) and U2 (“Frontline,” which rips off “Beautiful Day” wholesale; the solemn “Drive,” an update of Zooropa-era somber keyboard-rock). Garbage’s Shirley Manson guests on the fantastic post-rock grumble “The Trouble I’m In,” while Rossdale’s keening falsetto and gravelly intonations often conjure the Catherine Wheel’s Rob Dickinson in many places.

Lyrics were never his strong suit in Bush, and that hasn’t changed here; in fact, the ballads on Wanderlust tend to feel painfully cheesy (if not resemble Rod Stewart at times). But the overall production is slick without rendering his tunes generic or whitewashed. Even if Rossdale isn’t reinventing the wheel, Wanderlust is an example of how to make a mainstream alt-rock record—without pandering to the lowest common denominator.

The bottom line: ***

Gavin Rossdale: Camden Underworld - Review

a review and a description of the Camden Underworld show on 06-11-08

Rossdale gets back to his roots| Music | This is London
Thrusting himself into the front row, gold guitar in hand and drenched in sweat, Gavin Rossdale was every inch the rock star. And the mixed crowd at Camden Underworld adored him for it; even, in fact especially, the grungy fans that preferred a good old head-banging track to the calmer type.

Thrusting himself into the front row, gold guitar in hand and drenched in sweat, Gavin Rossdale was every inch the rock star. And the mixed crowd at Camden Underworld adored him for it; even, in fact especially, the grungy fans that preferred a good old head-banging track to the calmer type.

It was a little unusual to see said fans proclaim their love for Gavin before resuming the more subdued image but in the heat of the moment they got away with it. The musician’s enthusiasm was infectious.

The more intense the song, the heavier he would play. His band followed with the frontman bashing drum cymbals in between vocals. To say his performance was energetic would be putting it mildly. If the day job ever wears thin, there is definitely scope for a Gavin’s Onstage Workout fitness video.

The 40-year-old is best known as the former lead of Bush, who made it big in America and secured a dedicated British fanbase. Things have changed a lot since the early days. Gavin now has a wife (Gwen Stefani as it happens) and baby to think about and with the alterations come a new, less angry style.

In most good gigs there is a stand out moment; the one that seals the deal. For this show, it was a toss up between the stunning Glycerine and Chemicals Between Us, both Bush numbers.

But this isn’t to say the new material was dismissed. Things look promising as far as the latest album, Wanderlust, is concerned. With time, these records will be better known and have the potential to make the same impact.

This was a big show crammed into its intimate surroundings. ‘This is a hometown gig,’ the Londoner said. ‘I could just walk back to my house.’ He probably didn’t but he did look excited to be getting back to his roots. ‘Bush played at Camden underworld just as we were going up,’ he added. Let’s hope the same will soon be said for the singer’s solo career. No doubt, he deserves it.

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