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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