From cradling a pair of kittens on the cover of PAWS Chicago magazine, to building the wrestling franchise Resistance Pro, it’s safe to say that there’s absolutely nothing about Billy Corgan that can be predicted.
Except maybe one thing: refusing to put the Smashing Pumpkins to rest.
“Monument to an Elegy” is the ninth installment of Corgan’s broken, beaten-down, then sewn together and reanimated band best known for their early-nineties work. The album, which is to be released today, is just over 30 minutes and is a part of the ongoing project called “Teargarden by Kaleidyscope.”
In light of Corgan’s capricious nature, the lone-Pumpkin brought in Tommy Lee from Mötley Crüe to sit in place of original drummer and on-and-off-again member Jimmy Chamberlin on this album.
Lee’s bombastic style, accredited to his experience-based talent and volatile adrenaline, is surprisingly disciplined and matches well with the demands of Corgan’s clean-cut production.
At face value, “Elegy” is a modern, lovesick pop album from Corgan.
Now almost in his 50s, the aging rock star spontaneously changes the game yet again. Except this time, he takes on a genre once dominated by synchronized dance moves and boy bands.
“Hush my love don’t fight / Never leave me here this night” Corgan sings on the promising, opening track of “Tiberius.” The listener is eased in to a dreamy, gothic aesthetic that’s familiar to the Pumpkin sound, reminiscent of “Perfect” from the 1998 album “Adore.”
The chorus of “Being Beige” creates the progressive, wall of sound that swallows the listener, like in “Tonight, Tonight” from “Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness” in ‘95.
However the delicate synth intro sounds like a box-wound tune chiming out from a jewelry case complete with a ballerina. It’s almost frightening when Corgan’s shrill timbre enters the audio instead of a bubblegum-pop princess.
“Run2me” is painful, superficial pop that begs to be remixed for the glow stick equipped ravers and shirtless sweaty men of the late-night club scene.
This song is cute in the most cringe-worthy way; nevertheless, the adjective “cute” should never be a passable term when talking about the Pumpkins unless Corgan poses with kittens again.
The great save of this record are the tracks “Monuments” and “Anti-Hero.”
“I feel alright, I feel alright tonight / And everywhere I go is shining bright” Corgan sings in the positive take off of “Monuments.” Heavy, grunge-worthy riffs accompany Corgan and provide depth to the album’s schmaltzy sweetness. The rock void long-time fans might feel is filled with Jeff Schroeder on guitar.
The final track, “Anti-Hero,” ends “Elegy” on a good note. The song emulates a happy medium between the nostalgic shoe-gaze, psychedelic of glory day Pumpkins with hints of metal and Billy Corgan’s latest interpretation of the group.
Upbeat lyrics like “Never been kissed by a girl like you / Love me baby / Love me true” candy-coat the track, which also manages to feature darker themes that are apparent in instrumentation.
Despite a strong start and a solid finish, “Elegy” is the type of album that caters to a different audience. Parts of it are great, parts of it are boring and the rest is torturous.
If you like your Pumpkins served with a side of “X.Y.U.” rage, this isn’t the album for you. Any hard rock or metal-tendencies were either left on 2012’s “Oceania” or are being saved for the follow-up album expected in February next year.
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