The Future Embrace: Billy Corgan’s First Solo Effort

Billy Corgan’s songwriting career has taught his fans to expect change. In fact, Corgan himself must realize this, as he begins his first solo album with the lyric, “All things change.” As his fans anxiously awaited the June 21 release of The Future Embrace, they literally didn’t know what to expect: Would it be guitar-driven rock or poetry set to electronic music? The Future Embrace is the best of Billy Corgan’s songwriting phases all melted into one, absolutely amazing album.

Now, don’t pick up The Future Embrace for a chance to hear Corgan’s virtuoso guitar playing because you won’t. One of the most striking aspects of his first solo album is that his arguably best skill is not in the foreground. When listening to most of the tracks, you have to consciously pick the guitar out of the ambiance, otherwise you won’t notice it at all.

Like Radiohead’s Kid A, The Future Embrace is a “headphone album.” In other words, you can only grasp the wall of sound’s little details by having it right there in you ears. This type of music is not as accessible as rock: Understand that before you buy this CD.

Though The Future Embrace doesn’t feature much guitar, it definitely isn’t lacking cool “riffs.” Now, what is a riff? When you think of Siamese Dream‘s hit song “Today,” what do you think of? The quiet guitar at the beginning, right? Well, that’s a riff. Corgan knows what makes a song catchy and he uses it on The Future Embrace.

Take “Mina Loy,” for example. “Mina Loy” begins with a cool guitar (yes, guitar) riff that will make you want to listen to the song over and over.”Walking Shade” starts with an equally cool guitar riff. “Mina Loy” and “Walking Shade” are the album’s closest thing to mainstream rock, which is why you’ll hear those songs in the mainstream, but they are not, by far, the only good songs that The Future Embrace has to offer.

Though Zwan’s optimism had all of Corgan’s gloomy fans scared for a while, his old lyrical style is thankfully back and dark as ever. “Who needs pain to survive? I NEED PAIN TO CHANGE MY LIFE,” Corgan sings in “The Cameraeye.” Corgan’s first solo album is full lyrics evoking sorrow, wounded innocents, alienation — you know, all the good stuff.

Billy Corgan’s back, solo, dark as ever and not afraid to show his true self. The album photos predominantly feature Corgan’s birthmark, something he formerly hid with long sleeves and sometimes make-up. How’s that for symbolism? The Future Embrace will doubtlessly please some listeners and alienate others. If you’re not sure which category you fit into, you can listen to the tracks ahead of time at Billy Corgan’s Space.