Billy Corgan has conducted his post-2000 career with all the grace and quiet dignity of a diarhettic albatross. Why this should come as a surprise to his adoring public is beyond me; tact has never been our gangly hero's forte. Still, there was a time when Corgan's music afforded him some goddamn clout. Grandiose proclamations would be pardoned in return for solid albums was the unspoken agreement.In the seven year interval of Pumpkins inactivity, Corgan has suffered more than one misadventure. Now, once again invoking the name of the Smashing Pumpkins, he's back in the business of self-important jackassery (and as always, business is thriving). The important question, then, is this: will his music heft the same kind clout as it had the previous decade?
The general impression of Zeitgeist is of a successful if forced return to form. Truth is, anything from droning, psychedelic, pentatonic grooves to fluffy mellotron balladry would have constituted a return to form. That being said, the bulk of Zeitgeist bears a resemblance to the old Pumpkins catalog; something of an irregularity, as no two SP albums are ever alike. But without judging the album by comparing it with previous material, Zeitgeist does leave much to be desired.
"Doomsday Clock," the opening track, is a lesson in relentless, plowing guitar work. Artistically, it serves as a reminder to what the Smashing Pumpkins proved in the 90s: Subtlety isn't always a good thing, and if there's room for subtlety, you might be doing it wrong. The song falters in execution, though. Without an arrogant sneer or scream of frustration behind it, "Doomsday Clock" seems insubstantial. And as no sense of catharsis is ever realized, the volley of missiles falls harmlessly into the swampy abyss that is the Transformers Motion Picture Soundtrack, in theaters now.
Similarly, "That's The Way(My Love Is)" could have been a Machina B-side or, more likely, a single from Zwan's only outing, Mary Star of The Sea. Should it be legal for more than half of the words in a song to be "love"? Probably not. If this song was a piece of cake, you'd want to have it with a glass of milk or two (and if the title was the icing, you'd want to scrape it off beforehand). But what separates this song from any track on Machina isn't an overabundance of sentimentality. Corgan has a knack for revealing an awkward vulnerability that lesser songwriters would dare not approach, and sometimes with great effect. No one has ever looked so comfortable in shoes that don't fit. The problem lies elsewhere.
In both of these songs we find what is perhaps Zeitgeist's only flaw. A crippling lack of depth is only too apparent throughout the album. As such, "That's The Way(My Love Is)" could never hope to stand toe to toe with "Stand Inside Your Love" or "Try."
Maybe he's at a loss for inspiration. Whereas Corgan always had fertile grounds for thoughtful songwriting before, he has now chosen the least inspiring subject imaginable: the condition of the American individual. Compared to the instinctive work of earlier Pumpkins, Zeitgeist seems counterintuitive. And in an album of almost-hooks (a shortcoming the Pumpkins previously overcame on multiple occasions through sheer substance), there is scarce enough material here to provoke the thoughts or ears of the listener.
