That Corgan and whatever company he keeps continue to put out music of such quality after such a long time is astounding, but it's especially great to hear Chamberlin's unmatched drumming and Iha's distinct guitar phrasing bringing out the best in the songs again.
Corgan delivers something unexpected: music that's rich but settled, music that plays to his strengths, music where he seems happy in his own skin.
Rather than a '90s-rock pastiche, the reunited Pumpkins' comeback album is a showcase in artful songcraft.
It might not be the same magic, but something magical is coursing through Shiny and Oh So Bright, Vol. 1., hinting at a future we can all embrace — especially Corgan.
If you weren’t expecting much from this latest attempt at keeping the band alive, you'll be impressed at how revitalised they sound.
'Shiny and Oh So Bright, Vol 1.' sees these alternative figureheads finding their chemistry once more, whilst opening an intriguing new chapter.
With Billy Corgan reining in some of his more eccentric writing and using that in more subtle thematic ways, Smashing Pumpkins have an emotionally potent record. This said, there’s a lot of generic material between the stronger parts of the music that make it hard to come back to.
Overall, there’s nary a bad vibe to found here, despite all the ragin’ and cagin’ promised by the angsty title. Corgan has delivered a reunion album that’s not exactly a triumph, but rather a pleasant experience worth returning to—and that’s a small triumph in itself, so let’s count it.
A lot of the same issues as previous releases, but by far the most listenable thing Corgan has done in years, and that’s probably due to having other people in the room with him this time around.
The album includes a number of the Pumpkins’ calling cards, those expecting Siamese Dream Mk II will likely be disappointed.
At just 8 tracks, it’s not the gargantuan 44-track concept Corgan once had in his head, but there’s a feeling of ‘Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness’ reimagined, as well as some healthy flashes of the grinding guitars and stadium-sized fills that once made the band an MTV staple.
As revived as the classic Pumpkins sound is on Shiny and Oh So Bright, though, the album can’t quite shake the sense of superfluity endemic to reunion projects: There isn’t anything here that the band hasn’t already done before—and better.
It’s those earlier, more reflective numbers that are the most successful here, not least because they feel as if he’s picking up where he left off with ‘Ogilala’.
Beyond the instrumentation and the overall sound of the album relative to the band's past work, Shiny and Oh So Bright, Vol. 1 is, in the end, engaging with the visionary spirit of Smashing Pumpkins.
No doubt there will be many chomping at the bit to pile on Corgan, but he and his bandmates have made a pretty decent record if by no means a great one.
Shiny and Oh So Bright… sadly offers little to further their considerable legend.
Save the few fire-breathing dragon moments of Lollapalooza-era churn, it’s the Smashing Pumpkins in name only, and that ice cream truck has long left the gas station.
With its promise of a second volume (a shaky promise for those who remember the plans for Teargarden by Kaleidyscope), it’s transparently obvious status as a mere collection of songs rather than any kind of unified statement, and Corgan’s intolerably florid and obtuse musings throughout, it is a project that does not bear close scrutiny.
In the annals of ’90s bands that have reunited to thrust a new album into the void where inspiration used to be: Shiny might contain the least imagination, the least personality, the least effort, the least love.
Revisted this after listening to their most recent output, and yeah, compared to that, this is like Mellon Collie 2. Nothing mind-blowing, but this is the best the band has sounded in almost a decade, so I'll take it. Pretty decent release, but not really essential.
It's fair to say their albums post-comeback have been lukewarm at best, however, none have been as creatively empty and bankrupt as ...brace for it... Shiny and Oh So Bright, Vol. 1 / LP: No Past. No Future. No Sun. with its tediously long and intricate title. The band appears to have put more effort into the record's title and the admittedly cool cover art than the music at hand. Complete with astounding overcompression and dull production, the batch of songs present here are among the most ... read more
Most of the original members returned for this album, and I was hoping that it would have been a sort of comeback. Sadly, this album features some of the most bland and unimaginative songwriting from The Smashing Pumpkins so far, with bunch of tracks in it's short runtime, that only feels partially complete. I can kind of get Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness vibes, at least more so than the last few LPs, but Shiny and Oh So Bright really takes away from what made the band so enjoyable to ... read more
I'm gonna be honest, I don't hate this. The Pumpkins absolutely fell off after the 90's and are way past their peak in songwriting and production. That being said, there are still parts of the album that I enjoyed, namely Knights of Malta and Alienation. A little generic, yes, but the orchestral elements, melodies of certain tracks, and songwriting still give this record some weight. Maybe I'm just too big of a classic Pumpkins fan to be truly "bored" by this like others are, I dunno. ... read more
It's okay. It doesn't have an outstanding track, but there's also not an overly awful track.
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Es ist okay. Hier ist kein Highlight drauf, aber zumindest auch kein grottenschlechter Song.
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Favorite Tracks:
- Knights of Malta
1 | Knigts of Malta 4:37 | 63 |
2 | Slivery Sometimes (Ghosts) 3:31 | 76 |
3 | Travels 5:23 | 51 |
4 | Solara 4:22 | 61 |
5 | Alienation 5:01 | 58 |
6 | Marchin' On 2:39 | 62 |
7 | With Sympathy 3:30 | 55 |
8 | Seek and You Shall Destroy 2:45 | 56 |