It is my birthday today! So I decided to treat myself by listening to one of my favourite albums of the 90s. Smashing Pumpkins have always been one of my favourite bands of this era. There's really not much in the mainstream that sounds like them; they clearly take influence and direction from punk and grunge acts, but with Billy Corgan's distinctive voice and more melodic tones, they carve a sound and aesthetic that is uniquely theirs.
You may notice that I have not yet given a 10/10 to any album so far. Even some of the best, most praised albums on this blog have had to settle for a 9. Which is a really great score still! But to get a 10, you have to basically hit me with all the right emotions and feelings while keeping up a consistent level of quality sound. That's what this album does for me; it scratches that itch that I have when I want to listen to 90s rock. It's a perfect balance of hard rock guitars and melodic, dreamlike tones amid the dark subject matter. And I'll be the first to admit it's not for everyone, not by a long shot. If you can't get past Billy Corgan's voice (or perhaps, more appropriately, his right-wing conspiracy theorist views), I understand. But for me, this hits hard, and hits consistently. Nearly every song on here is pitch-perfect to my ears, and the classics off of this album are undeniable. Too many to list, really, but I'll try to keep it to 6. Fantastic record, check it out.
10/10
Best Tracks: "Cherub Rock", "Today", "Hummer", "Geek U.S.A.", "Mayonaise", "Luna"
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