We are days away from the release of The Smashing Pumpkins’ new double album Cyr, and thus far, we’ve gotten eight tracks from the tradition-bucking new LP. From the power ballad “Ramona” to the synthpop jams of “The Colour of Love,” this latest effort from the alt-rock stalwarts threatens to challenge everything that the band built its legacy on from a sonic perspective. That isn’t to say that these songs haven’t been great - they’re well-crafted as ever - but fans of work like Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness or even earlier SP albums might find themselves wanting more from what’s been let loose of Cyr.
First we have “Dulcet in E,” a softer song with acoustic guitars and landscape-crafting synthesizers. A handful of female voices buffer frontman Billy Corgan’s signature tenor as he talks about fruit swinging from a tree, telling an unknown subject that “I’m necromancer and your balm” and that they are “where a heart like mine belongs.” It’s more in the vein of indie rock, which you could argue that the band gave rise to, but it’s a surprisingly laid-back approach for them.
Following that is “Purple Blood,” a darker affair than any we’ve been treated to from Cyr, with fuzzy guitars and broad synth lines. Even with these aggressive tendencies, the song is beautifully composed, with ambience and even an acoustic guitar interlude for the bridge. The only real complaint to be had with this track is that it’s over before it really begins. I could have used at least one more verse or chorus with that low, gnarling bass before the song wrapped up.
Cyr releases via Sumerian Records this Friday, November 27th. Pre-orders are available here.
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