Occasionally, people ask me why I like the Smashing Pumpkins. It’s really hard to describe why you like music, but I think I’ve come up with a pretty good reason. The music they have released over the years is so incredibly diverse that I could almost never get tired of listening to them. The Smashing Pumpkins are definitely my all-time, number-one, if-I-only-had-one-band-to-listen-to-on-a-desert-island favorite band.

So I was excited to hear they were releasing an EP, in a relatively short time after their first release in seven years, Zeitgeist. This four song EP, American Gothic, does exactly what I love: it introduces a new sound to the band. At least, it is a new sound for the new Smashing Pumpkins, which is essentially a rehash of frontman Billy Corgan and drummer Jimmy Chamberlain’s short-lived project Zwan with different people on the bass and guitar. After a heavy, head-banging release in Zeitgeist that was vaguely reminiscent of Siamese Dream and more a nod towards metal and hard rock with power-chords galore, it’s nice to see the band slowing down into a mellower, more acoustic groove. For those of you not well-versed in the esoteric history of the Smashing Pumpkins: Zeitgeist was surprising and powerful, where American Gothic is more melodic, more relaxed, and more beautiful.

However, this EP is not entirely new; the songs sound incredibly similar to those on Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, with a little bit of Adore and Zwan mixed in. But this certainly isn’t a drawback! The sound seems to be getting back to the Smashing Pumpkins that I love, with an optimistic sound consisting of solid rhythm, articulate acoustic guitar, and Corgan’s trademark voice. The flowing ambient chords of the organ accompany “Sunkissed” well, and the EP is not without drive and hooks provided by the drums and bass in both “The Rose March” and “Again, Again, Again.”

American Gothic renews my hopes that the Smashing Pumpkins are a returning force in the music world, rather than a half-hearted attempt by Billy Corgan to relive the 90s. I’m greatly anticipating their next album.

(Image from smashingpumpkins.com)