When Billy Corgan decided to reform the Smashing Pumpkins in 2005, it hardly came as a surprise to anyone that founding members James Iha and D’Arcy Wretzky would not rejoin the band. After all, Billy Corgan wrote and recorded nearly “ninety-seven percent” of their material anyways. So with long-time collaborator and drummer Jimmy Chamberlin in tow, Corgan set about recording 2007’s poorly received ‘Zeitgeist’ followed by 2008’s ‘American Gothic’ EP. Feeling spurned by the fans and the recording industry in general, Corgan vowed never to release another traditional studio album again.
In March 2009, Chamberlin announced his departure, thus eliminating the last link to the classic 90’s line-up. Corgan however continued using the Smashing Pumpkins name and laid down his vision for future releases. He planned to release a few songs at a time, over a period of 2 -3 years, ultimately culminating in one big box set.
‘Teargarden by Kaleidyscope, Vol. 1: Songs for a Sailor’ is the first EP of an 11-set album. Containing four tracks released throughout 2009 and 2010, the EP was released in physical form on May 25.
The first track is the six minute epic “Song For A Son”. An obvious homage to Led Zeppelins classic “Stairway To Heaven”, it’s probably the best track written by Corgan in years. Featuring a slow and calculated build up, the pianos and acoustic guitar soon give way to a roaring electric solo before slowing down and restarting again. It’s not quite classic SP but it’s as close to classic rock by the Pumpkins as you’ll get. Next on the list is “Window Wake My Mind”. Being pop-based, it’s notable for featuring as many as nine instrumentals in the chorus. It has a nice melody but again it’s not really up to the standards set by Corgan on their 90’s albums. ‘Astral Planes’ is the oddest inclusion on the EP. It’s not quite an all out jam nor is it a full-fledged instrumental. It’s just Corgan cranking up the distortion and belting out one long guitar solo, and a rather annoying one that too. “A Stitch In Time” is a genuinely sweet acoustic pop song quite different from the dream pop style of ‘Tonight, Tonight’ and ‘Disarm’. It’s one of those songs that get instantly stuck your head without requiring repeated listens and is a satisfying conclusion to the EP. It was definitely on repeat for me for a u number of listens.
If you’re looking for Siamese Dream-esque material, then ‘Teargarden’ won’t probably do it for you. But i But the question that begs to be answered is: Are the Pumpkins still relevant today?
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