Album Review: Chris Cornell - Higher Truth
By Daniel Marco, Contributor
[Universal; 2015]
Rating: 2.5/5
Key Tracks: “Dead Wishes,” “Higher Truth”
Higher Truth, singer/songwriter Chris Cornell’s first studio album since the disastrous Scream in 2009, marks his transition to a more acoustic oriented sound. Long removed from his 1990s height as the frontman for grunge icon Soundgarden, Cornell ditches his usual loud and heavy approach for a gentler sound, and the results are mixed.
From the first song, “Nearly Forgot My Broken Heart,” we can already hear the changes, as the song is mostly driven by mandolin picking and acoustic guitar with Cornell’s signature wailing still hitting high decibel levels. Following this is the slow winding track “Dead Wishes,” another acoustic-heavy song.
However, a majority of the remaining nine tracks simply sound like different iterations of the first two songs. Indeed, the whole album just seems to blended into one bland continuation of the same themes and sounds. Higher Truth isn’t necessarily bad, it just seems content in being mediocre, and the main problem is that it’s uninteresting and completely fails to keep the listener’s attention.
The one bright spot on the album, though, is Cornell himself. His voice is instantly recognizable and unlike any other in rock music, and it hasn’t lost any of its raw power. He even showcases a quieter tone on some songs that he doesn’t break out often and is surprisingly pleasant to listen to.
Although there are some positives, Higher Truth doesn’t bring anything new to the table, and should only be reserved for Cornell fanatics or those lost in the haze of the ‘90s.
