Two years ago Bush rode into town as the first band to cop the entire grunge movement in one fell swoop with the opening riffs of "Everything Zen." Dozens of wannabes followed in Bush's footsteps, decorating MTV with counterfeit angst. However, Bush returns fire with [liRazorblade Suitcase[lf, due in stores November 19, which sounds, well, pretty much like their first record.

"Suitcase" relies on three basic songwriting tactics: the claws-out rocker ("A Tendency to Start Fires," "History"); the sullen verse/noisy chorus juxtaposition perfected by Nirvana six years ago ("Swallowed," "Mouth") and the lifeless ballad ("Synapse," "Communicator," "Bone Driven"). In the case of the latter, the ballads' themes bleed together in one endless tune, dragging painfully through the second half of the album.

Bush's latest is not without its moments. "Greedy Fly" is a restrained mid-tempo track with fuzzy guitars and lyrics which turn back on themselves: "Do you feel the way you hate/Do you hate the way you feel?" The band musters drama and tension in "Cold Contagious," its strung-out verses leaving room for the vengefulness at its core. The string arrangements on "Straight No Chaser" and "Bone Driven" add delicacy and depth to these otherwise sound-alike songs.

No doubt many disaffected teens will find comfort in "Razorblade Suitcase's" grab-bag of gloominess. It's a shame Bush hasn't managed to progress beyond the point where its "influences" wind up sounding like rip-offs.

-- Beth Winegarner

This article was originally published in the San Francisco Chronicle.