7/10

Following on from their 2012 release 'Not Your Kind of People', veteran alt-rockers Garbage return to deliver their sixth (yes, only sixth!) studio album 'Strange Little Birds'. While the band have been working on separate projects recently, and also reissuing their self-titled debut album for its 20th anniversary last year, it has made them look closely at where they want to go as a band and the result is intriguing to see the least.

It is hard to tell what parts they have borrowed from new bands, or what newer bands have taken as inspiration for themselves, but this latest Garbage material sounds incredibly contemporary. While it still maintains their core, grunge-inspired sound, the bulk seems to have taken influence from more modern bands like Hinds or Haim in terms of production style. Essentially this is not an album of a band relying on tried-and-tested tricks but an attempt to keep up with the times and they pull it off well.

While having renowned producer Butch Vig in your band is always going to do you some favours in recording, it is the diverse approaching to songwriting that stands out on this new release and makes 'Strange Little Birds' a record that will stand the test of time.