chriscornell-carryon music reviews Virgin Media
Bafflingly mediocre offering from formerly superb ex-Soundgarden and Audioslave vocalist
Man-rock posterboy Chris Cornell, most recently famous for performing the Casino Royale theme and, for many, the ideal choice of frontman for Audioslave (his last band, formed from the ashes of Rage Against The Machine) is a fickle chap. Having recently announced that his departure from Audioslave heralded a new period in his recording career, he had fans salivating with news of a solo album – and has promptly turned out a lacklustre collection of MOR moderate rock.
Even if we weren’t aware of what Cornell is capable of, mid-paced stadium rock balladry such as Arms Around Your Love and Safe And Sound would leave a nasty taste in the mouth. Cornell’s attempts at something heavier – see Ghosts and the electro-tinged yuckiness of Killing Birds - flounder on the rocks of over-production. The less we say about a cover of Billie Jean that would make even Garth Brooks curl his toes in embarrassment, the better. Even You Know My Name sounds, in the context of the rest of this album, like soundtrack metal by numbers, devoid of imagination. A crushing disappointment.
More to try: Audioslave: Audioslave Soundgarden: Superunknown
