Search - Smashing Pumpkins :: Lull

Calm before the storm

Sal Nudo | Champaign, Illinois | 05/10/2000

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This is kind of a nostalgic little EP for us Generation Xers. It's Gish-era material and B-sides that would do any Pumpkins fan proud. After "Lull," the Smashing Pumpkins upped the ante and ran away with their success, making these simple songs that much more of a treasure. Gish's "Rhinocerous" mixes a dreamy start to buzzsaw guitars that later take over, almost nullifying the heartfelt but sappy lyrics. The short "Blue" starts with quiet wind chimes and a belching bass, which gives way to thumping drums, quiet interludes and a bizarre bridge that peters out. "Blue" foreshadows some of the future pop the Pumpkins would delve into, whereas "Slunk" contains wild guitars and snotty lyrics, properly leading off this era of music, stuff that rivaled even Nirvana's. Finally, "Bye June" is as tender as "Slunk" is rambunctious. The song features spacey lyrics and an acoustic guitar, nothing more. It's pure magic from a band just beginning to tap into its abandonment and potential. Unfortunately, because of its length, "Lull" is nothing spectacular. The songs are good, a few borderline great, but my understanding is that this band had many more great unreleased tunes from 1989. Now that's scary."

Pretty good

Neel Aroon | Lexington, KY United States | 02/03/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Lull an EP just really of the material that did not make it on to gish. However, the album is not just not something to disregard. The four songs on here are still good in their own right. It really seems that these songs should have been added onto gish in the first placed to make the album more complete."

Don't let the # of tracks fool you, this CD is great

Neel Aroon | 02/16/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a great CD, showing completely different sides of the Pumpkins in each song. Rhinocerous, which should be a classic to any pumpkin fan, showing the mellow rock. Slunk, which unleashes the anger & harshness of songs like pissant and tales of a scorched earth. and Bye June, which is a simple, yet great tune that gives the empty, and sad feeling with just Billy & his acoustic. This CD has it all, and is a must for any kind of Pumpkin fan"