Chris Cornell – Scream
by Bambi Weavil
Chris Cornell
Scream
You may recognize the name Chris Cornell, for long-time fans, he was the gutsy, wailing voice behind the multi-platinum bands Soundgarden and Audioslave. You can also associate Chris Cornell for being a risktaker and innovative artist out to make a bold impression – he has chosen R&B and hip hop super-producer Timbaland to helm his new album, Scream.
This is one tight album if you’re looking at it from a purely mixing standpoint: a groove mix of dramatic melodies, blazing lyrics, his intense and emotional vocals to dense layers of crafty samples and irresistible stutter-step beats. If you’re a fan of Timbaland’s producing work with artists such as Justin Timberlake, Nelly Furtado and One Republic, you’ll enjoy the collaboration.
“Part of Me” has Timbaland’s signature production strengths all over it, and embraces more pop/dance than his Soundgarden sound…fans will either love it or hate it. “Time” is overproduced, and would have been best delivered acoustically. “Sweet Revenge” however, was a excellent choice in Cornell’s new landscape, it delivers pop, techno, and attitude. “Ground Zero” is the most political song on the album, and I hope that it won’t get lost among the other hip hop/techno/pop songs. The main problem with this album is there seems to be no consistency in artistry and it’s almost nothing but a Timbaland album with no real purpose.
I don’t think all is lost, this song can leave a Soundgarden or Audioslave loyalist conflicted I can have this album on in the background and not be upset, however, I think if Cornell chooses to stay down the techno/hip hop/rock/pop path, he needs to have more cohesion on a full body of work other than ‘this is good to dance to, and that’s it.’
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