Neko Case has sorta dominated that "coolest redhead in rock" position for the past few years, but Ms. Case, it's time to take your seat, because Shirley Manson is back in the saddle again with Garbage's Bleed Like Me -- the electro-pop, post-grunge group's first album since 2001's clunker, Beautiful Garbage.

Back in '95 Garbage came like a bat out of Wisconsin with lethal singles "Queer" and "Stupid Girl." They tore up MTV and maintained hipster cred with all the cool kids (at least, the cool eighth graders). Garbage sounded like the poppier sister of PJ Harvey and Poe and, heck, drummer Butch Vig produced Nirvana's Nevermind, so that didn't hurt.

But between then and now, Garbage became somewhat, hmm, unpopular.

During that time, people were looking for happier stuff, not sexually brutal thrashers spewed out by a ball-busting Scottish chick in a crotch-high skirt.

But maybe we're ready to dig on Garbage again. And if you were the type of middle schooler who blasted "Only Happy When It Rains" whenever your mom told you to clean your room, you'll feel right at home with Bleed Like Me, which finds Garbage in the same musical grade as when we left them.

Bleed Like Me runs amuck with a Dave Grohl cameo ("Bad Boyfriend"), kinetic choruses ("Run Baby Run" and "Why Don't You Come Over"), head-banging distortion ("Metal Heart") and confusion, addiction and unyielding, scarring self-destruction ("Bleed Like Me").

Garbage sure hasn't grown up in sound, but that's OK because Bleed Like Me will still shake you from the toenails up and grasp you in its bruising, pulpy, steely embrace.

-- Reviewed by Caralyn Green