Oceania

Billy Corgan has never been one to make things easy, on himself or others. Oceania is an “album within an album,” the next 13 songs in the Pumpkins‘ ongoing 44-song art-rock odyssey Teargarden by Kaleidyscope, which began in 2009. Luckily, it’s also a good stand-alone record, a bong-prog take on the alt-rock grandeur of Gish and Siamese Dream: “One Diamond, One Heart” sounds like Yes hanging in a German disco circa 1977, and “Pinwheels” is folky moon worship with laser-show guitar streaks. And the at-times-cranky Corgan sounds pretty zonkily content throughout. On “Violet Rays,” he sums up his healing vision for humanity: “I’ll kiss anyone tonight.” Pucker up, Earth.

Listen to ‘Oceania’:

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