No rage. No nihilism. Instead, lead singer Billy Corgan values love and friendship on “Perfect,” “To Sheila,” “Pug” and “Shame.” He copes with the death of his mother with the respectful tributes “Once Upon a Time” and “For Martha.” While short on answers, the rhetorical questions posed by “Appels + Oranjes” ponder life’s deeper meaning. A positive step!
Heaven gets blamed for a car crash leading to an untimely death (“Tear”). A lover is called “my whore” and “the murder in my world” on “Ava Adore.” Liner notes include two photos of bassist D’Arcy Wretzky in a see-through blouse.
Once again, Smashing Pumpkins specialize in obscure lyrics and poetic streams of consciousness. But on Adore, the band avoids the obscenities, despair and self-loathing of past albums. Only a few lyrical shortcomings. Still, the nudity is inexcusable.
