Bleed Like Me is the fourth studio album by the band Garbage. It was released on April 11 2005 internationally and a day later in North America. It entered both the UK and US album charts at number 4 in its first week.

The album came after the near break-up of the band. The working title of the album for much of 2004 was Hands on a Hard Body. Shirley Manson said that the title reflected a period of tension and crisis in October 2003. Bassist Steve Marker said that during this time the band wasn't communicating and couldn't make any music, so they took a break. Butch Vig went to Los Angeles for two months, during which time he believed the band had split up for good. However, he ran into some fans who asked about the new album. This made him think about the tracks that had been recorded and listen to them again; it also reminded him about the fanbase and anticipation about the new album. Vig later met Dave Grohl at a Christmas party. Thinking that his drumming techinique would work well on the song "Bad Boyfriend", Vig enlisted Grohl to play drums on the track.

The band then started talking on the phone and agreed to meet up again, albeit in LA and with producer John King . Grohl met up with them and laid down the drums on "Bad Boyfriend", giving the track a harder and faster feel. The band said that Grohl's performance on the track raised the bar for them and made them strive to improve the quality of the album, especially the tracks "Bad Boyfriend" and "Metal Heart". After agreeing on a new sound, the band was able to work together in the studio and record the album. In late August 2004, Manson announced that the band had come up with the new title because it better fit the band's improved dynamic.

Manson said Bleed Like Me would sound more like Garbage's powerful live performances. She said that the album would comprise more hard rock and be a return to Garbage's roots after the eclectic experiment of beautifulgarbage, an announcement that resonated with most fans. Vig has emphasized that there would be less electronic layering and a more hard rock feel to the album. Besides Grohl, Matt Walker also contributed drums to the majority of the record. Eric Avery of Jane's Addiction has been confirmed to play bass for the album's tour.

The album received generally positive reviews, with Billboard Magazine commenting that tracks like "Run Baby Run" and "Right Between the Eyes" would likely be successful future singles. However, many reviews note that the album does not sound progressive, as it essentially represents a more stripped-down version of Garbage's '90s sound.

"Why Do You Love Me"

The first single from the album was "Why Do You Love Me". It was released on 4 April 2005. The single was described by Marker as a "very melodic ... Phil Spector girl-group sped-up-fast kind of song". Manson said the lyrics, about relationships and loyalty, deal with her past.

The single officially premiered in the United Kingdom on the BBC Radio 1 Jo Whiley show on Friday, 18 February. It was playlisted by XFM at the end of February and made XFM's single of the week upon its release. It was added to the Radio 1's C-List on 17 March. On 10 April, it debuted at #7 on the UK Singles Chart, making it Garbage's second-highest charting single in the UK (after "Stupid Girl", which reached #4).

In the United States, the song was released for airplay on Tuesday, 15 February. It was the most added song on alternative rock radio for the week of 15 to 22 February. It entered the Modern Rock Tracks chart at #39 on March 5 and shot to #10 by March 26. That same day, it debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at #94. The single later peaked at #8 on the Modern Rock Tracks. The song is the band's most successful it the US since 1999's "Special".

The video for the single was filmed on January 31, 2005; fans of the band were selected to feature in the video. Sophie Mueller directed the clip.

Next Single

Several reports indicate that "Sex Is Not the Enemy" will be the next single in the UK. Butch Vig reportedly stated that the US and Europe will get different singles, "Bleed Like Me" and "Run Baby Run", repsectively. The video for "Bleed Like Me" was filmed on LA on April 12, with Mueller again directing.

"Bleed Like Me" and "Bad Boyfriend" have recieved some airplay from US alternative rock stations since the album's release.

Song listing

The running order of the album is as follows

1. "Bad Boyfriend" (3:46)
2. "Run Baby Run" (3:58)
3. "Right Between The Eyes" (3:55)
4. "Why Do You Love Me" (3:54)
5. "Bleed Like Me" (4:01)
6. "Metal Heart" (3:59)
7. "Sex Is Not The Enemy" (3:06)
8. "It's All Over But The Crying" (4:39)
9. "Boys Wanna Fight" (4:16)
10. "Why Don't You Come Over" (3:25)
11. "Happy Home" (6:00)