Cyr gets savaged in review by the Art Desk

[houseofglass11]

Ouch
https://theartsdesk.com/new-music/al...ns-–-cyr

Album: Smashing Pumpkins – Cyr
Grunge veterans pump out a joyless dirge

“It’s almost a truism in rock’n’roll that within every padded and bloated double album, there’s a fine single disc waiting to burst out. Among the plethora of tunes on Smashing Pumpkins’ first double album since 1995’s fine Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, however, there’s barely enough to fill a worthwhile EP. In fact, given the joyless musical Mogadon on offer on Cyr, even that might be something of a stretch.

Flat and uninspiring tunes follow dreary and unmemorable dirges almost without pause for great swathes of the 70 minutes or so of Smashing Pumpkins’ latest effort. “The colour of your love is grey” sings mainman Billy Corgan on the opening track and it pretty much describes everything to be found within Cyr. Synth-heavy and almost riff-free songs such as “Wrath”, “Ramona” and “Anno Satanna” trundle along in a mid-tempo plod and it’s not until almost half-way into the album that “Wyttch” raises its head to inject anything approaching a groove. By this point, however, it requires a concerted effort to pay any attention to whatever’s limping out of the speakers. It has to be said that things don’t get any more engaging with the likes of the bumbling “Telegenix”, “Adrennalynne” and “Haunted” during the second half of this seemingly endless long player either.

This writer’s last experience of Smashing Pumpkins was to be in the audience for their disappointing performance at 2019’s Download Festival, where Corgan appeared on stage dressed as the Addams Family’s Uncle Fester and his band of personality-free miseries struggled to show any enthusiasm whatsoever during their set. Unfortunately, very little seems to have changed in the last year or so and it’s almost impossible to believe that the Smashing Pumpkins on Cyr is, with the exception of long-ousted former bassist D’Arcy Wretzky, the same band that once gave the world tunes like the glorious “Cherub Rock”, “Bullet with Butterfly Wings” and “Drown”.”

[thedeadofnight]

Couldn't agree more. This band is finished.

[Disco King]

Clearly, they armchair critics, troll media, and "powers that be" just don't understand that his genius is ahead of its time. In 20 years, they will all be saying that Cyr is an underrated masterpiece and asking, "why doesn't Corgan write classic songs like that anymore?"

[Butt Pope]

Not disagreeing with the reviewer, but do people think they’re the first one to do the Uncle Fester bit? Go with Yul Brynner or something.

[Disco King]

Before he got fat, he was Nosferatu.

[thedeadofnight]

Originally Posted by Butt Pope

Not disagreeing with the reviewer, but do people think they’re the first one to do the Uncle Fester bit? Go with Yul Brynner or something.

I think it's just so uncanny it's hard to not mention

[Ram27]

absolutely perfect. love the drown citation too; no one really mentions that song formally

riff-free. how do you even write songs like that

[Ram27]

the only thing i hate more than this record is the fucking sycophants on his insta going 'look at my toddler dancing to SEEYR'

i wanna throw up. it's just so depressing and gross and bad and ughhhh

[Zer0 Hour]

Billy’s recent output, combined with his idiotic statements over the past decade or so, have made me embarrassed to tell people that the Pumpkins were (and in some ways always will be) my favorite band. While I refuse to let the asshole that Corgan has become (or probably always was) ruin classics like Mayo, Starla and Jupiter’s Lament, it’s gotten tougher to even mention them when having a conversation with friends about good music, even if you’re just referencing their old stuff. I wish I had shackled myself to one of their contemporaries; I imagine diehard Pearl Jam fans or AIC fans don’t feel ashamed over how their faves have turned out. And even if they do, it’s probably not this level of shame.

[Forgotten Child]

The colour of your love is grey” sings mainman Billy Corgan on the opening track

That's not the opening track.

[houseofglass11]

On the album tracklist it is

[Oklahoma Sexual]

Originally Posted by Forgotten Child

That's not the opening track.

WRONG

[inkless]

exept wyttch and little bit ramona

i like all the song

birch groove
purple blood
wrath


first album without lenght song ?

[Ram27]

you know there's a great thread about earphoria one down from this one

no need to suffer through trying to figure out what the fuck purple rain is

[Forgotten Child]

There's another review on The Times but I am not a member

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/o...r-22-f0rcb2pdn

[T&T]

Cyr @ 72mins is a double album
Adore @ 73mins is not.

OKKKKK

[reprise85]

"don't be deceived by the miraculously brief title" lol

[enthusaroo]

This album is complete garbage so far.. and if it doesn't get panned then something is seriously wrong with fucking fake news and fake reviews.

[Forgotten Child]

If the reviewers don't agree with me it's because they are fake.

[NovaFritz]

mid-tempo
dirge
leader/dictator

this is great stuff

We have really had hints of this on his solo material as well. Sort of like latter-day Neil Young, most of these songs should end up on the cutting room floor, but instead we get albums of meandering tunelessness. Cyr sounds like it is basically two songs so far - a synthpop song and whatever Wyyyyttttccchhh is going for. Why turn each of these ideas into 10 tracks apiece? A total waste of everyone's time.

[incubator]

Completely disagree with the review and hate. I love Cyr, no joke.

[tweedyburd]

Reviewed by... who?

[johncg]

“his band of personality-free miseries struggled to show any enthusiasm whatsoever”

This reminds me of the stills and gifs posted here of the reunion interviews and early SAOSB shows. Solid gold.

[wHATcOLOR]

i think it's a fair, intellectually honest review

[eviltimeban]

The Times one mentioned half the songs had vintage synths. Does that mean the other half don't?

[Forgotten Child]

Maybe they haven't even heard the other half. The rest of the article is idiotic.

[VoxUpDoc]

The Times review in full:

https://www.reddit.com/r/SmashingPum..._sunday_times/

Apparently Billy's vocals have never sounded sweeter than Dulcet of E...

[eviltimeban]

I can't wait to hear Adrennalynne!

[TuralyonW3]

Both terrible “reviews”

[VoxUpDoc]

Ramona's lyrics are like some sort of parody.


Yet I shan't gander far
Beyond her spells enchant
...
Storms with thee
...
Ooh, the incantations of
The souls she's torched to dust
By hex that had no stage

What the fuck is this?
Definitely one of his worst vocal takes as well.