Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream

It's good to hear some more music from the early 90's that was able to escape grunge's tentacles. There are a few elements in there that make it comparable to that genre, but it's really closer to alternative rock that got more popular later on. I feel like the album might be a little longer than it needs to, and some of the songs are a little similar, but nothing in particular felt like it needed to be changed or cut. A lot of the songs sounded similar to stuff that came out later, which points to it being pretty influential to modern rock. A song like "Today" for example, sounds like something I've heard fifty times before, but might be the first time it was made. Sort of like Nevermind, I respect it more than I liked it, but I did like it it more than that.

I knew "Cherub Rock" already from a couple music games last year, and it's more enjoyable when you're not playing a plastic instrument and screwing up more than you think you should be. "Disarm" is another single I've heard before, and sets itself apart from the other tracks with lots of strings and bells creating the atmosphere instead of guitar. It's followed and complemented well by "Soma", which is a soft, acoustic song that slowly builds to a nice release. "Silverfuck" isn't a bad song, but I feel like it hurts the flow of the rest of the record. It's quite long and sort of progressive, and while no element is bad, it just bores me a bit before the last couple tracks pull it back in another stylistic switch. Few moments on the album truly grabbed me, but it was solidly written and performed rock throughout.