Album Reviews

Album Reviews: Scream by Chris Cornell

Considering Chris Cornell's songwriting leaps during the Soundgarden years, his move to the real big time with Audioslave, and the creative detours of his solo albums, most would not expect the guy's third solo effort to be a return to his heavy roots. But few would have expected it to be a pop album done in collaboration with Timbaland.

We’re talking smooth electronic beats and Timbaland's bleeps, bloops, samples, and sonic creations. The difference maker is Cornell's golden throat, which can often make a mediocre song powerful. On Scream, Cornell's voice is convincingly soulful, if occasionally a tad askew in the context of the prototypical pop songwriting (Justin Timberlake even makes an appearance!). The album does stay true–at least to some extent—to Cornell's vision for an album, rather than a mere collection of songs. That doesn't make it Pink Floyd's The Wall though, and "single" surely wasn't a word banned during the recording process. The ready-for-remix soulster "Part of Me" (and its memorable refrain) is one of a handful of songs with minor hit potential. The style is just not a perfect fit for Cornell, and Scream is not a perfect album, but the risk pays off more times than not.

—Scott Alisoglu
03.18.09