The Smashing Pumpkins are without a doubt one of the most influential bands to come out of the grunge and alternative rock scene of the 1990’s and while albums have been sporadic at best from the band in the past while dealing with all that’s been thrown at them, here in 2018 they come out the other end a little wiser and mature both musically and personally. “Shiny And Oh So Bright” is an album that not only celebrates the bands past while still moving forward, it also embraces it all with the reunion of Billy Corgan and original members Jimmy Chamberlin and James Iha and it works to their advantage very well.
Experimentation has been a big part of the Smashing Pumpkins in the past, which has either worked in their favor or resulted in the disinterest of some listeners who were instantly hooked by earlier work such as Siamese Dream and Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness. Much of that has been stripped away on this new album with the core elements intact providing that sound that is as familiar to the listener as any of those hit songs.
Producer Rick Rubin has once again worked his magic and gotten the band to remember what made people love their music and even on opener “Knights Of Malta“, despite it’s more mellower touch, still has a groove and rhythm within it’s layers of instrumentation that is enticing. Most of the album is littered with these mellow tracks complete with soaring melodies and while some may be dismissed as fluff material, tracks like “Silvery Sometimes (Ghosts)” stand out big time. The bands true alt pop sensibilities comes through on this trademark Pumpkins track in the vein of such memorable counterparts such as 1979 and Today. This is almost vintage stuff in a way but it still sounds brand new that also hooks you immediately.
“Travels” is also a sweeping melodic number, showcasing it’s epic grandeur as it sits as the longest track on the album. But the harder stuff comes a bit later, first with “Solara” which the world heard for the first time with the reunited lineup and its easy to see why it was picked as the lead single. It’s a hard rockin’ track that again has the signature sound stamped all over it with chugging riffs and Billy Corgan’s vocals instantly recognisable driving this solid song.
Marchin’ On is also a modern rocker for the ages held back only by the orchestrated feel of the chorus lines but the rest simply rocks out in a short 2 and a half minutes. These more rockier tracks while few and far between, are placed accordingly in the tracklist among the numerous softer numbers which in turn boosts their impact even more so. This isn’t exactly a revelation for Smashing Pumpkins albums as the balances between mellow and hard both in the songs themselves and from track to track are another staple of the band’s attention to the bigger picture.
And that bigger picture ends with “Seek and You Shall Destroy“. With a hint of familiarity in how the band have influenced modern alt rock acts of today, this is a fitting song to end what could be perceived as the return of the Smashing Pumpkins to solid form. Fans will surely revel in the stand out pieces here while others may be intrigued on the return of the original members. Either way this is an album that will bring the band that spotlight that was once shiny and oh so bright.
TRACKLIST
Knights of Malta
Silvery Sometimes (Ghosts)
Travels
Solara
Alienation
Marchin’ On
With Sympathy
Seek And You Shall Destroy
