Billy Corgan and the rest of The Smashing Pumpkins premiered two new singles recently, “Dulcet in E” and “Purple Blood, this via THEPRP. The legendary alternative group is poised to release its new double album Cyr next week, on November 27, of which these two new singles are plucked from.
Since the upcoming album’s announcement, the road to Cyr has been scenic one. The band’s steady stream of distributed singles has colored in a large chunk of the project before its release. The singles land in pairs, but the choices are almost always a dichotomy of sound. First there was the dance-influenced title track “Cyr” matched with Colour of Love.” In September the electronic tracks “Confessions of Dopamine Addict” and “Wrath” were unwrapped. By October, “Anno Satana” and “Birch Grove” were the newest double singles, followed closely with the Halloween invoking “Wyttch” and the less spookily named “Ramona.”
Now ears are perked to the newest duo of singles. “Dulcet in E” is full-bodied tune that is as tender and welcoming instrumentally as it is lyrically. The song boasts a catchy, pop core, Corgan sings “Is it too hard for solid knowledge/ From far too ease, the bandage/ I’m never more than you could want.”
“Purple Blood,” on the other hand, is irrevocably The Smashing Pumpkins. Its got a classic feel because it hinges on beautiful crunched layered guitars, a technique that has given the band so much of their sonic identity. But additionally there’s a great synthesizer accompaniment here, and an eager, nervous creep toward its end, which solemnly leaves Corgan alone with just an acoustic guitar.
Cyr will be the second LP following the reunion Corgan with fellow founding bandmates guitarist James Iha and drummer Jimmy Chamberlain. Their initial homecoming was 2018’s Shiny and Oh So Bright, Vol. 1/ LP: No Past. No Future. No Sun. Just last week, the band premiered the Charlotte Kemp Muhl directed music video for “Wyttch.”
photo credit: Alyssa Fried
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