Zeitgeist

New Offering From An Old Favorite

I first heard the single Tarantula on the radio and was sort of turned on to it. But at the same time I knew it wasn’t the Smashing Pumpkins I had grown up listening to and the sound that I was accustomed to hearing – like the melancholy in “Mellon Collie.” That song brings a little bit more punch, bite, and screeching guitars – a bit more metal.

Then again, I read the July 16th TIME magazine review of the album, which put it under its “Unnecessary” banner, citing that “nothing here moves the band forward or sticks in your head.” While that may be a bit harsh, it’s not too far from the truth. So I decided to give the record a real open-minded listen-through.

The album starts out harder than expected and it offers a fresh sound from the group. That doesn’t last too long. Too many of the songs have the same format/style to make the run through a bit recycled. There is no distinction with the first two songs and I hate it when bands make two songs in a row just sound so similar.

My favorites would be Doomsday Clock, Tarantula, and Neverlost, for their originality and enjoyable melodies. The rest of the songs don’t have much else to offer. I appreciate bands who evolve and change their core sound, but I also believe they should create something that holds my interest and attention. The album overall sounds exactly like Smashing Pumpkins come back in 2007 and this is the sound I was expecting, which is another reason why it failed to exceed my expectations.