Oceania

Said to be “an album within an album,” the 13-track Oceania is part of the greater 44-track Teargarden by Kaleidyscope project. No matter what the concept or the intention, Corgan here issued his most melodic and adventurous album since the underrated Adore. Other albums aimed for a hard rock aggression that often centered on Jimmy Chamberlin's muscular drumming. But with Chamberlin missing from the ranks and a new bassist, drummer, and guitarist, Corgan starts Oceania with the psychedelic freakout of “Quasar” before settling into the luxurious “The Celestials,” which itself leads to the mellotron prog of the haunted “Violet Rays.” Looped synth lines, rudimentary keyboard notes, and a lonely electric guitar spend nearly two and a half minutes building up to the acoustic-based ballad “Pinwheels,” where harmonies and further experimentation create the album's tripped-out center. The heavy moods of “Panopticon,” “Pale Horse," and “The Chimera” further prove that Corgan the explorer is still working overtime.