Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Carry On | Chris Cornell
Interscope | 5th June
Review by Jigantor
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Interscope Records
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Sounds like … Jeff Buckley after a really bad night.
Chris Cornell has an incredible voice. It’s full of longing and pain, like a beautiful, innocent child corrupted by booze and cigarettes and one night stands, now left with only a sense of stolen potential. He has been recorded at A above high C, but all the time he is cracking and howling and ragged edges. It is a beautiful voice, beautiful but poisoned. It is, I say again, incredible. And utterly compelling.
But listening to this album, I had a flashback to Audioslave's eponymous debut: a record of immense potential with moments of genius, but overwhelmingly unsatisfying. Songs which showed such potential for power and intensity dissolving into a mishmash of forgettable choruses and ill-conceived lyrics.
Carry On suffers from exactly the same problem. Take the example of the first single 'No Such Thing'. It begins with suitably rawk guitars, segues into a soft, tense verse, gradually builds to a killer bridge and you're waiting, you're gagging for the killer blow - but suddenly there's this stupid, shouty chorus that could have been written by two year ten dropkicks whose fondest hope is to one day feature on Russ Kellett's Melbourne. And that's one of the better songs.
The sole standout exception is, bizarrely, a cover of Michael Jackson's 'Billie Jean'. It is everything this album should have been – so tender, powerful and raw that you can almost taste his pain. Perhaps Cornell's real problem is that he needs a decent songwriter. His voice is so incredible, listening to it trapped in such a pathetic, lacklustre cage makes this one of the most frustrating releases of the year. Somebody, please, let him shine.
6 out of 10
1 things other people have said:
Reading this, I've been struck once agan by how utterly subjective this reviewing process is. As a reviewer myself, it's something I ought to know - but sometimes we need reminding of the obvious things. Kudos to you for writing such a carefully considered and passionate review. I agree with you about the voice: but Billie Jean to me is one of the weakest performances on the album (his acoustic live versions have been better). And I found much to love in the songs. Nice writing, though, sir!
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