Stone Temple Pilots (Atlantic)
Moments of surpassing beauty are not what one expects from the often off-course Pilots. But wayward singer Scott Weiland achieves just such transcendence on the achingly beautiful "A Song for Sleeping." A lullaby from a father who has returned from the abyss to find the love he feels for his newborn almost unbearable, the song seems to be ripped from the diary of Weiland, who has struggled with drug problems. But on the very next track, "Long Way Home," he is back on an airless grunge trip. The mood-swings between lugubrious rockers and graceful melodies are catalogued in the humorously self-aware "Bipolar Bear." The opening track, "Dumb Love," is brutal on the ears, but play on—rewards await. Lilting tunes like "Days of the Week" and "Black Again" make you think that when he's not headbanging, Weiland has been listening to old pop-perfect Squeeze and Crowded House albums.
Bottom Line: More highs than lows
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