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MINI REVIEW: BILLY CORGAN "THEFUTUREEMBRACE"

Artist: Billy Corgan
Album Title: thefutureembrace
Genre: Rock/Electronic
2005 Reprise Records

When did I buy it?: I bought it when it was released in June of 2005.

Why did I buy it?: I've been a fan of the Smashing Pumpkins for a couple years now, so I was curious about Billy's solo album. I wondered what it would sound like and what things Billy would do with the music now that he doesn't have a band to answer to.

What are the best songs?: thefutureembrace is an album influenced by many of Billy's favorite bands and styles of music from his teen years in the 1980s. It has a very strong electronic/gothic sound and is quite different in sound than the work Billy did with the Smashing Pumpkins. It's a fairly good album, but not a masterpiece. The best songs are on the first half of the album, and things get spotty from there.

"All Things Change" is a great way to start the album. It's wrapped in synths and drum machines and carried by Billy's clear, uncluttered vocals. It's one of the few songs on this album that I think could be performed by the Pumpkins. The melody is very strong and semi-catchy and sounds a bit like "1979" from Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness.

"Mina Loy (M.O.H.) is one of the most powerful and intense songs on the album. It has a dark, gritty guitar riff that gives the song a heavy metal sound. Again, Billy's singing is catchy (although perhaps not as catchy as his earlier work). "Mina Loy" will get stuck in your head and won't let go. This was an immediate standout track for me.

The good times continue with "The Cameraeye." Billy unleashes some quiet, punchy vocals over an almost-hip hop beat and an interesting repeating guitar riff. This track is recommended listening just because it's so different from anything Billy's done before.

"Tolovesomebody" is a cover of the Bee Gee's song, and is worth a listen just for the harmony vocals of Robert Smith from the Cure. Aside from that, however, this is just an average song.

"A100" and first single "Walking Shade" contain heavy synth lines and very distorted guitars. Both songs have a Nine Inch Nails sound, very inorganic and intense. The melodies are decent, and the chorus on "Walking Shade" is particularly catchy.

"DIA" is a very sneaky song. It sounds similar to other songs on the album, but repeated listens reveal magic. Pumpkins drummer Jimmy Chamberlin puts down a very mechanical sort of beat, unusual for him but yet still human enough to be fresh. Billy's vocals might not seem exceptional on the first listen, but his melodies slowly work their way in your head after a while.

Any bad stuff?: This album might be fairly good, but it is nowhere close to perfect. The last three songs on the album are very spacey and not very memorable. Very few of the melodies on the album are on par with Billy's catchiest songs, and the melodies on the last three songs in particular are quite mediocre. "Strayz," the last song, is a very quiet song and a contrast to the busy noise of the other tracks. Too bad it's held down by Billy's uninspiring vocals.

My biggest problem with the album is that there are no songs approaching the beauty of "Tonight, Tonight" or "Rhinoceros" or even "Disarm." Some of the songs are softer than "Mina Loy," but they just don't have the heart or tenderness that some of the Smashing Pumpkins' more beautiful tracks had in abundance. I think that's mostly because of the technological edge of the songs. Instead of jangly guitars and pianos and thunderous drumming, we get wailing synthesizers and extra-distorted guitars. Everything just seems to buzz, and the subtle nature of Billy's guitar solos, riffs and hooks is in short supply.

Overall thoughts: I may criticize this album, but I do understand what Billy tried (and succeeded) to do. It has a particular sound and feeling, and while it may not be a Pumpkins album, it does have its place in Billy's catalog. Billy has made songs with a wall of noise, which gives the music a power that his Pumpkins songs may not have had.

There's a real balance to this album, unlike the "loud guitar anthem-soft piano ballad" sound that the Pumpkins had for much of their career. Nowhere is this more clear than Billy's singing. On past albums, I've struggled to understand what he was saying and sometimes can't hear him very well. thefutureembrace, on the other hand, shows that Billy is singing stronger and clearer than ever. A good thing, to be sure!

This album may not be a classic, but it's definitely not a bad one. You may not understand it the first time you hear it, but give it a chance and you'll be rewarded. Different does not mean bad, and all Billy has done is make a different album than his work in the past.

Album Score: 3.5 out of 5