Stone Temple Pilots (Deluxe)

Soild and respectable

     

STP has never had it easy. For those who are too young to have experienced grunge, STP were the Nickleback of their day. Hugely popular, but derided by critics and purists as Pearl Jam clones - something the "Plush" video did nothing to dispell. By the mid-90's, with brit-rock making Beatlesque melody and hooks fashionable again, STP were free to indulge their pop influences. Hard pop-rock has been the STP template since their 1996 album, "Tiny Music".

For fans that stuck with the band, "Stone Temple Pilots" will be received as a return to form. A solid and respectable collection of songs that fit well together sonically, and showcase a band near the peak of it's craft. Unfortunately, the chunky riff-rock grooves of "Core" are completely absent, most likely due to lead singer Scott Weiland's inability to sing in that key anymore. Weiland is one of the few real rock stars and an engaging front man, but years of hard living took a heavy toll on the money-maker. And that's a shame. Commercially, it's "Crackerman" and others like it that sell STP to the masses, so there will be a sizeable contingent of fans that won't "feel" this album.

All of this said, removed from the context of STP's history, this is a GREAT album. "Between the Lines" was a #1 rock hit in the U.S., and deservedly so. "Humble Crumble" pays homage to classic Aerosmith, and "Cinnamon Girl" evokes both New Order and Cheap Trick. "Hickory Dicotomy" is a slice of southern rock that vents at the two-faced nature of journalists, while "Hazy Daze" reconsiders the trauma of an absent father from the standpoint of a son who is now himself a man and father.

From an Irish perspective, "Stone Temple Pilots" is a great opportunity to discover great rock music from a band not named Foo Fighters or Kings of Leon (seeming the only bands radio is allowed to play).