Pop Music Review : A Blooming Bush? : Power, Command of the Band’s Concert Hint That Its Own Identity Is at Hand

Call it the Great ZIP Code Debate of 1996.

Many rock purists are outraged over Bush’s spectacular success because the quartet, which headlined the sold-out Pond of Anaheim on Tuesday, sounds as if it comes from Seattle, though it really hails from London.

And it’s true: Bush comes across much of the time like an American grunge group, complete with grinding guitars and angst-driven songs reminiscent of Nirvana and Pearl Jam.

But who says you have to sound like Oasis and Blur just because you’re British?

All bands are heavily influenced, from the Beatles (Elvis Presley and Chuck Berry) to the Sex Pistols (the New York Dolls and the Ramones).

The great ones, however, move beyond those influences and develop their own artistic visions--and therein lies the real problem with Bush. The group comes across as simply all influence. It has no home ZIP code, vision-wise.

On Bush’s 1995 album, “Sixteen Stone,” singer Gavin Rossdale showed that he knows how to construct a song, but his direction wavered between echoes of Kurt Cobain isolation (down to the disjointed imagery of the especially seductive “Comedown”) and Eddie Vedder dislocation.

Even though the album has sold more than 3 million copies, it was easy to dismiss Bush as yet another one-hit wonder.

But the power and command of Tuesday’s show suggest that Bush may be a force to be reckoned with in the ‘90s.

For one thing, Bush distanced itself from the Seattle comparisons by expanding the musical textures of the album. Unfortunately, these forays also ended up in familiar territory: the anxious, edgy, guitar-driven feel of U2 and the primal force of Nine Inch Nails.

What was most impressive was the way Rossdale and his mates (bassist Dave Parsons, guitarist Nigel Pulsford and drummer Robin Goodridge) have made the move up from clubs to arenas. Rather than be swallowed up by the high expectations and sheer size of the larger setting, Bush appears to have blossomed.

Rossdale has a great stage sense--and a willingness to use it to his advantage. As you were constantly reminded through close-ups on three video screens above the stage, he is blessed with pinup good looks and knows the value of the dramatic pause at the start of a song, and the downcast glance at the climax of a tender tune.

The band played with a hard-edged efficiency, giving the music a lean, urgent quality that was accented nicely by striking lighting effects.

The question facing Bush is whether it can also blossom musically. It won’t be easy. Most of the great bands arrived with at least a hint of original vision. But Pearl Jam, which also struggled at first in the shadow of Nirvana, showed it can be done. Bush’s next album should tell the story.

You could see also the influences at work in the support bands: Buffalo’s Goo Goo Dolls, who are fueled by the disarming irreverence of the Replacements, and Orange County’s novelty-minded No Doubt, which combines the bounce of ska with the quirky pop of late-’70s new wave.

While both of these veteran groups have surprise hit singles these days (the Dolls’ gently reflective “Name” and No Doubt’s percolating “Just a Girl”), neither act exhibited the creative ambition or consistent punch to suggest they can build on the unexpected breakthroughs.

* Bush and No Doubt play Friday at the Santa Barbara County Bowl, 1122 N. Milpas St., Santa Barbara, 7 p.m. Sold out. (805) 568-2695.