IN REVIEW: The Smashing Pumpkins - "Shiny and Oh So Bright, Vol. 1/LP: No Past. No Future. No Sun."

The obnoxiously long title of Smashing Pumpkins' eighth album (or the first volume of it, I guess?), and its status as the first with most of the original lineup since 2000, might imply that it's a much bigger deal than it is. At eight songs and just under 32 minutes, it's a very slight return. It's also mostly free of the pretension that has bogged down much of their previous work; there are no epic-scale song suites, no wild tangents to go off on, just a batch of songs that get right to the heart of the matter and make way for the next one. In this respect, it's really a rather impressive display of restraint; given the attention this record was going to garner, it would have been easy to stretch things out to a bloated mess.

That "Vol. 1" descriptor may prove me wrong on that last point eventually, but Shiny and Oh So Bright in its current incarnation is a concise and compact serving that may not blow old-school fans away or convince any of Billy Corgan's detractors to reach across the aisle, but is very effective at reminding both sides of this group's capabilities. Though it may feel somewhat watered down to some fans, there are little reminders throughout of why some were so excited for this record.

Having said that, at times this comeback doesn't seem entirely sure of what Smashing Pumpkins aim to come back to, exactly. Whereas previous post-Machina records seemed set on bludgeoning (Zeitgeist) or beauty (Monuments to an Elegy), Shiny and Oh So Bright sort of veers back and forth, wavering on its mission statement if it has one. The sweeping cinematic sounds of Knights of Malta and Alienation sit alongside radio-ready hits in waiting like Silvery Sometimes (Ghosts), Travels and With Sympathy; then, there's the brute force of Solara and the riff heavy uptempo chuggers Marchin' On and Seek and You Shall Destroy. With these three disparate moods split up out of sequence on such a short record, Shiny and Oh So Bright plays out rather unevenly.

Still, the songs are by and large up to snuff, and I can't fault the band for casting a wider net upon their most anticipated comeback attempt yet. There's something for every fan here and, even if it lacks some of the majesty of their highlights, it marks a welcome and promising return for one of the grunge era's most revered and reviled bands. Here's looking forward to Vol. 2, and beyond.

November 16, 2018 • Martha's Music/Napalm
Highlights Knights of Malta • Silvery Sometimes (Ghosts) • With Sympathy

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SOUND BITES

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