Zwan: Mary Star of the Sea

By RUSSELL BAILLIE

(Herald rating: * * * * )

Zwan is yet another chapter in the life of one of those difficult, towering talents who helped define rock in the 90s. There's quite a few of them about at present, whether it's Dave Grohl's Foo Fighters or the phoenix-like supergroup Audioslave.

Just what Billy Corgan, the former Smashing Pumpkins figurehead, was going to do next after his band outlived its usefulness was always going to intrigue. Especially considering how gloomy, art-directed and high-concept his former band's output was getting towards its end, rather losing the stadium-sized following they earned on early albums Gish, Siamese Dream, and the gargantuan Mellon Collie and The Infinite Sadness.

And yes, Mary Star of the Sea is intriguing. But not because Corgan has finally disappeared up his own art.

It's no solo project - Corgan's got four others behind him and two guitarists to spar against. Zwan includes the Pumpkins' explosive drummer Jimmy Chamberlain, whose drug problems helped pull the rug out beneath his old band, Paz Lenchantin, bassist for A Perfect Circle, guitarist Matt Sweeney and, most curious of all, David Pajo, whose pedigree extends to Slint, Tortoise, Royal Trux and Papa M.

They might be a diverse bunch in an American alternative rock kind of way but that's still Corgan's recognisable feline snarl front and centre, his raygun guitar lines searing through the songs and ... hold on, where's the whining, the angst, the great baroque bucketloads of pomp that came free with every packet on his past efforts?

Well, that's the thing about Zwan. There isn't much excess or self-importance. Granted, the figurative title track Jesus, I/ Mary Star of the Sea stretches on for 14 minutes, moving from a literally hymnal beginning to an epic in which the three guitarists perform extended team formation-flying on their instruments. It's squeally and unwieldly but quite a finale to what is a curiously uplifting album throughout. Yes, Corgan in feelgood rock shock.

Some of it, like the opening Lyric, and Declarations of Faith, is all ringing chords, giddy choruses and an odd sense of salvation.

Some of it echoes cool British bands of a certain era. After all, Corgan toured in 2001 as an extra guitarist for New Order and that band's echoes are apparent on Settle Down and El Sol. Parts of Honestly are fey proof he bought some Smiths albums back then too.

Oh, and Zwan, as the silly name suggests, do glam rock too, even it if's really only in the title reference of the galloping Ride a Black Swan. But they sure do the full ziggy on Baby Let's Rock, on which Corgan gets vocally in touch with his inner Jagger.

It's but one very goofy moment on a very good, very big, very enjoyable set of fuzzy, fiery tunes.

Its natural similarities can send you back to those Pumpkins' albums but it's still thrilling enough on its own to conclude: the year in rock starts here.

Label: Reprise