Chris Cornell's great voice and above-average interpretative ability was something we already knew; lovers and otherwise of Soundgarden must surrender to the obvious truth: this guy knows his stuff.
But on a solo work, without the support of a band loaded with different influences and inspirations, how will he manage?
Excellently.
In this album, the not-so-old Chris masterfully mixes his ever-present rock influences and passions (the seventies and bluesy sound) with his love for pop-rock songwriting (the ghost of Jeff Buckley is invoked in more than one song), adding his highly personal taste for melody and "alternative" vocal trills.
The opening "Can't Change Me" (first single) immediately clarifies the ideas about the album's subtle tones (noteworthy is also the final reprise in French with a bohemian accordion), but highlighting some songs at the expense of others seems inappropriate for an album that should be listened to uninterrupted from start to finish, and maybe when you get there, you'll decide to play it again from track 1... just like I'm doing now.
After many years of an esteemed career, an artist feels the need to change... but the results do not measure up.
This Chris Cornell is decidedly subpar.