Album Review: Smashing Pumpkins - Oceania

There is one thing Billy Corgan knows how to do with unabashed bravado; generating press. It's mainly bad, but “any press is good press”, right? With comments like “I'll piss on fucking Radiohead” ringing in the ears of the music industry and punters alike, the focus gets put back where Corgan wants it, on his band's new album, Oceania. And it's surprisingly good. There are tracks that will have you thinking he's reworking old material – the intro on opening track, Quasar, is eerily close to the intro in Cherub Rock. That aside, this album is a solid addition to Smashing Pumpkins' vast catalogue of music. It's a 'clean' sounding rock record, with minimal attention placed on fuzzed-out guitars, the focus instead on songwriting and sound textures, leaving the blind aggression of his past behind.

There is energy on Oceania presented in the form of its sublime rock tracks; The Chimera, for instance, is replete with guitar harmonies akin to the Siamese Dream era. Panopticon is as happy as the sun is bright albeit with a dark underbelly, whilst Pinwheels is epic in nature, and the title track could well be the soundtrack for any lovelorn '80s movie – perhaps a moment of nostalgia hit Corgan during the recording process? With most tracks being woven together by heavily '80s influenced synth lines, it regrettably starts to tire towards the album's end.

Love him or hate him, Corgan is an artist's artist. Whilst he does come across as pompous and arrogant, he is justified in his actions. He has always done what he wants with his music, which in turn has served a big middle finger to the industry. Oceania is another reflection of that spirit; bold, emotional and full of life.