Death Will Change A Heart

The Smashing Pumpkins “Anno Satana”

Some artists will zig when you expect them to zag, but Billy Corgan is a guy will zib or zir instead and leave you wondering what just happened. The new Smashing Pumpkins album CYR is a totally perplexing record – it feels slick and commercial, but it doesn’t quite sound pop or like anything that would fit in on radio right now. It’s the first full-length record Corgan has made since getting both Jimmy Chamberlain and James Iha back in the band, but the abundance of keyboards and crisp programmed percussion makes it sound like neither was actually involved at all. The aesthetic isn’t far off from that of Adore, but without the gothic atmosphere or delicate melodies. The Smashing Pumpkins is a band with a mastery of dynamics, but all 20 songs on CYR feel like they’re stuck in the same gear and share nearly identical tonal palettes. I don’t dislike any of the songs, but I also have trouble remembering any of them when they’re over. I suspect that if I was in a situation where I heard CYR front to back over and over I might come to really like a lot of these songs, but I also really would rather not do that.

“Anno Satana” is one of the best songs on the record, and feels like a cousin to “Stand Inside Your Love” from Machina. I’ve never particularly liked that song, so this one feels like an improvement – the melody pops a bit more, the late ’80s 120 Minutes aesthetics feel a bit more lived-in. While this and the rest of CYR seems like Corgan may be deliberately pushing himself and the band away from their core competencies in order to find some new moves, his voice is a major strength here. This melody flatters his natural tone and the icy textures of the track neatly frame the androgynous qualities of his voice. A lot of the lyrics sketch out an occult fantasy, but the bits that jump out – “young hearts will change,” “I never needed anyone” – resonate because he delivers them with a soft, feminine sigh.

Buy it from Amazon.