Perhaps it’s because the band has been away for so long. Perhaps it’s because of a lack of inspiration. Or perhaps it’s because the album title is defined by Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary as no less than “the general intellectual, moral and cultural climate of an era.”
Either way, “Zeitgeist,” the Smashing Pumpkins’ first album in seven years, just feels so underwhelming.
There’s nothing wrong with midtempo rockers driven by pounding guitar riffs and explosive drumming. If that’s your thing, you’re in luck: “Zeitgeist” has plenty of those types of songs for your listening pleasure.
However, lead singer/guitarist/mad scientist-behind-everything-Pumpkins-related Billy Corgan is certainly capable of so much more. Most musicians would kill for the ability to bust out what Corgan has cut on wax for “Zeitgeist,” but considering that this is the same man primarily responsible for Pumpkins classics such as 1993’s “Siamese Dream” and the 1995 double-disc opus “Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness,” it’s obvious that the Bald One is on autopilot now.
It certainly doesn’t help that “Zeitgeist” has a cover as grandiose as its title: a red-hued drawing of the Statue of Liberty (sketched by graphic designer Shepard Fairey, the mastermind behind the subversive art campaign-turned-fashion trend OBEY Giant) sinking in the ocean as dark clouds linger above.
With that kind of imagery, it would be easy to expect the album to feature songs decrying the fractured state of America, but Corgan has never really been one to focus on large-scale and “important” issues in his lyrics. Instead, his songs are generally more emotional and spiritual in nature, and the tracks on “Zeitgeist” are no exception.
Corgan does make attempts to lyrically touch on broader issues in songs such as “Doomsday Clock” and “United States,” although even these songs tend to focus inward.
At the same time, though, “Zeitgeist” serves as a sort of comforting sonic throwback for the Pumpkins. Not only is the album 52-and-a-half minutes long, making it the shortest Pumpkins CD since the band’s 1991 debut LP, “Gish” (let’s face it, the words “Corgan” and “restraint” have never gone together), but many of the album’s relatively straightforward tracks hark back to the hybrid of classic rock and pop-oriented alternative rock that dominated “Gish,” although the psychedelic touches that gave the Pumpkins’ debut its character are virtually absent from “Zeitgeist.”
Plus, the best tracks on “Zeitgeist” rock hard enough to remind you that Corgan, despite his sensitive persona, can ruthlessly shred on the guitar.
“Doomsday Clock” kicks things off with a bang and showcases some sweet guitar goodness courtesy of Corgan even if the opening guitar riffs are a little too reminiscent of the Linkin Park hit “One Step Closer” (no offense to Linkin Park front man Chester Bennington and company, but this is Corgan Country).
Among the other highlights of “Zeitgeist” are the first single “Tarantula,” a balls-to-the-wall rocker in the vein of Pumpkins classics such as “Zero” and “Geek U.S.A.,” and “That’s The Way (My Love Is),” which is nearly as tuneful and touching as anything on “Mellon Collie” and the Pumpkins’ underrated 1998 album “Adore” despite the song’s cheesy title.
Unfortunately, many of the other tracks on “Zeitgeist” are driven by hard rock so bland and faceless (even if it is in the Smashing Pumpkins style, which makes it more tolerable) that it makes one wish that Corgan would actually go back to taking “Wow, didn’t see that one coming”-caliber musical risks.
In the end, one nagging question remains: Why? Why not just bill “Zeitgeist” as a Billy Corgan side project, since half the band is gone anyway? Why not bring back guitarist James Iha and bassist D’Arcy Wretzky (or even Melissa Auf der Maur, who replaced Wretzky on bass for the final year of the Pumpkins’ run) if the Pumpkins name is being revived, even if the old band members just play at live shows? Why settle for recording a batch of good-to-mediocre songs for an LP that could have marked a triumphant return?
“Zeitgeist” is enjoyable enough and capable of bringing the rock in spades (and it helps if your expectations are low enough), but it’s sadly not an effort worthy of the legendary Smashing Pumpkins name.
