Mary Star of the Sea

1	Lyric 3:17
2	Settle Down 5:25
3	Declarations of Faith 4:17
4	Honestly 3:45
5	El Sol 3:38
6	Of a Broken Heart 3:54
7	Ride a Black Swan 4:53
8	Heartsong 3:08
9	Endless Summer 4:22
10	Baby Let's Rock! 3:41
11	Yeah! 3:06
12	Desire 4:14
13	Jesus, I/Mary Star of the Sea 14:04
14	Come With Me 4:00

Barnes & Noble

With the Pumpkins smashed once and for all, Billy Corgan sets sail for new waters on this free-ranging disc -- and ends up making some mighty interesting discoveries. Zwan's basic sound doesn't diverge all that much from that of the Pumpkins, with the emphasis squarely on guitars that ring, squeal, and radiate shimmering waves of color, particularly on "Baby, Let's Rock" and "Yeah," both of which resonate with the sort of wistful rock nostalgia that marked "1977." What's new is the tonal palette, however, since Corgan is flanked by a pair of guitarists who take off in opposite directions before converging on each song's core: Between the angular strumming of Matt Sweeney (formerly of Chavez) and the pointillist interjections of Dave Pajo (the guitar guru whose work in Slint launched a thousand indie bands), Corgan wails soulfully, even subtly, nicely abetted by the sweet vocal backing of bassist Paz Lechantin (of A Perfect Circle). Where Corgan used to bemoan things lost, he now sounds like a man intent on praising things found: faith, happiness, and even, seemingly, a profound sense of spirituality. That last element is most evident on a 15-minute medley comprising the album's densely layered title track and an emotion-drenched take on the traditional spiritual "Jesus, I Have Taken Up My Cross" (during which Corgan intones the word "reborn" like a mantra and sings enthusiastically that "God and Heaven are all my own"). There's more corporeal contentment as well, as heard in the blissed-out "Honestly" and the country-flavored album closer "Come with Me." Those who pine for Billy's days of whine and neuroses won't walk away totally empty-handed, though, since the spare, glacially paced "Of a Broken Heart" makes the possibility of death-by-divorce sound eerily plausible. As sonically daunting as most of Corgan's previous work, Mary, Star of the Sea spends at least as much energy in laying bare the singer's heart, and for Billy Corgan, it's a surprising and gratifying evolution. David Sprague

All Music Guide

It was generally acknowledged that Billy Corgan wasn't just the heart of Smashing Pumpkins, he was their architect, their musical director, and dictator, responsible for every sonic detail of their records and sometimes creating it all on his own. So, when he ended the band in 2000, it seemed a little baffling because he could have carried on with the group forever, since it was his band, and he was responsible for not just their densely layered sound, but also for how the Pumpkins painted themselves into a dark, murky corner with their final album, MACHINA. Remarkably, by breaking up the band, Corgan revitalized himself with Zwan, a supergroup conglomerate that functions more like a band than Smashing Pumpkins, as their superb debut, Mary Star of the Sea, illustrates. Usually, a supergroup winds up as a lumbering, ad-hoc creation that never sounds as good as it reads on paper, but Zwan clicks, partially because Corgan lets his bandmates function as equal partners. As well they should -- by cherry-picking guitarist David Pajo from Slint, guitarist Matt Sweeney from Chavez, and bassist Paz Lenchantin from A Perfect Circle, while retaining Pumpkins drummer Jimmy Chamberlin, he's assembled a nimble, muscular, adventurous group who don't flash their virtuosity, but can take his musical ideas further than his past group. And, yes, Zwan does recall Smashing Pumpkins, primarily because Corgan's voice and his favored method of layering guitars is so distinctive, but he has never sounded this bright, colorful, or free; he has never sounded like he's having so much fun making music. This joyful spirit surges throughout Mary Star of the Sea, even during its many intricate instrumental sections, and it's hard not to get swept up in the momentum, especially since it's married to his best set of songs since Siamese Dream. More than any album since that, it suggests the expansiveness of Corgan's musical vision (Mellon Collie sometimes sagged in its messiness), but there's a generosity here never heard in the Pumpkins, something that comes both from Corgan's writing and his interaction with his new band, which makes Mary Star of the Sea a delight to hear. Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Spin Magazine

[Corgan] has more ambition than Ayn Rand, and ambition goes a long way. (8) Chuck Klosterman

Entertainment Weekly

Mary Star of the Sea has a sharp zestiness and power that have been missing from Corgan's work for some time. The three guitarists shred and wail as if in tribute to old Boston records; the rhythm section has the dark, driving buzz of vintage new wave. (A-) David Browne

Entertainment Weekly

Mary Star of the Sea has a sharp zestiness and power that have been missing from Corgan's work for some time. The three guitarists shred and wail as if in tribute to old Boston records; the rhythm section has the dark, driving buzz of vintage new wave. (A-) David Browne