ARTIST: Stone Temple Pilots
ALBUM: Self-Titled
LABEL: Atlantic
RELEASE DATE: May 25, 2010
Ready for Takeoff
Photo by Chapman Baehler
Written by Lindsay Murphy
After nearly a decade lacking new music from Stone Temple Pilots, Scott Weiland and the DeLeo brothers have returned with their eponymous effort. While the band admirably attempts to avoid becoming a nineties grunge nostalgia act by progressing their sound, the result is unbalanced.
The new album blends the band’s early grunge style with their later psychedelic-infused rock to form a slew of structured songs. From crunchy to bluesy, it features glaring influences from a gamut of rock ‘n’ roll powerhouses, creating an album in identity crisis. Regardless, Stone Temple Pilots emerge with some rockin’ tracks.
Scott Weiland’s voice has changed considerably over the years; whereas his initial work begged comparisons to Eddie Vedder and the late Layne Staley, Weiland’s vocal performance on this album spans rock stylings. Some songs mimic a melding of Dylan-esque, talky verses and Cobain-sounding choruses, while others seem to channel David Bowie and Steven Tyler.
“Between the Lines,” the heavily-played first single and track on the album, boasts an undeniable Nirvana feel—and not just because the bridge borrows melodies and lyrical assonance from Nirvana’s “Stay Away.” “Fast As I Can” seems to be inspired by the same song, but is one of the album’s standouts.
“Take a Load Off” is most reminiscent of the band’s early material and will please STP fans. An amalgamation of Aerosmith and Led Zeppelin influences are apparent in the bluesy licks and soaring solos that compose “Huckleberry Crumble,” another key song. Twangy guitars characterize “Hickory Dichotomy,” a track that feels out of place and detracts from the album’s cohesiveness.
“Dare If You Dare” is the band’s hackneyed attempt at a ballad, its intended inspiration instead coming off cloying. It segues into one of the most poppy, buoyant STP songs to date, “Cinnamon,” which could easily be a single, albeit not one fans would expect. The middle of the record slumps with mediocre “Hazy Daze,” “Bagman,” and “Peacoat.”
The Bowie appropriation is evident on “First Kiss On Mars,” and although it deviates from STP’s sound, it is an excellent track. The band ends the album strongly with “Maver,” a slower, piano-infused song with bright melodies that showcases Weiland’s best vocal performance on the record.
Weiland’s repetitive lyrics are largely abstract and at times nonsensical, especially during verses. The songs feature multiple references to bed bugs, drugs, and swine flu. The album also lacks some of the emotional punch imbued into previous efforts, but many tracks possess the potential to take on a more incendiary nature when played live. Despite the dampened state, Robert and Dean DeLeo still pull off some excellent melodies and respectable solos.
While Stone Temple Pilots’ self-titled album will undoubtedly spawn several radio singles and satiate patiently waiting STP fans, its inconsistency and conspicuous mimicry hold it back.