Euphoria Morning, Chris Cornell

Can't Change Me
Flutter Girl*
Preaching the End of the World*
Follow My Way
When I'm Down
Mission
Wave Goodbye*
Moonchild
Sweet Euphoria
Disappearing One
Pillow of Your Bones

Steel Rain

After making notice to Rolling Stone’s terrible review of Chris Cornell’s solo album, how better to upstage them than with a better review set on the perfect off-white coloring?

Chris Cornell’s debut solo work Euphoria Morning must be understood as one thing: not Soundgarden. Those expecting Soundgarden will be disappointed. However, once this is accepted, you won’t be disappointed. Cornell’s ability to sing using haunting, soaring vocal melodies is as strong as it ever was. There are some interesting lyrics and the instrumentalists play like veterans. The album is overall a solid performance.

The album can really be summed up by some of the lyrics in Sweet Euphoria… “In the daze of a thousand yawns, lost my love, now I’m truly gone.” This is a beautiful and unique expression, how in his complacence he lost the one he loved and that its really he who is lost. Not Shakespeare but certainly something of merit. But later in the song he drops this bombshell… “Gone are your dandelions, falling like mine, falling like daydream mangos.” Now, this isn’t the worst lyric I’ve ever heard of course, but it’s also not the worst on the album. The problem with lyrics such as these is the meaning is there but it seems expressed clumsily. I don’t think daydream mangos are very relatable, even as heavy falling objects. In other words, the lyric isn’t bad just not inspiring, mediocre in a word. The song epitomizes the album in its moments of genius and moments of… well… not genius.

I maintain that the instrumentalists play well, but nothing impressive. They have moments where something interesting happens but it feels awkward at times. The songs start to sound alike as the album progresses, hinting at the generic nature of the playing. There are enough differences that the album doesn’t sound like repetition, but there is enough lack of diversity from musicians who should know better to be disappointed. The vibe never changes and by Euphoria Morning’s end you don’t feel like you’ve really gone anywhere.

What could have addressed these issues? I feel Cornell is an underrated musician, but when left to his own devices he can cause some harm. I think short of Euphoria being put in front of the great musicians in his previous group, Soundgarden, there was little to be done. This is Cornell’s solo album, and as sincere and genuine as it is, sometimes it just falls short. It needs the differing musical opinions of Soundgarden.

Often I hear comparisons between Soundgarden and Led Zeppelin. In this case, Euphoria Morning is the Zeppelin III of the catalogue: certainly not your average rock album, but short of previous masterpieces.

Grade: B-