Chris Cornell Didn't Forget To Go Orchestral

Chris Cornell has managed to distance himself from his Soundgarden days on his latest single "Nearly Forgot My Broken Heart". Kudos for the highly orchestral flavor. I'll never forget Chris for unleashing "Spoonman" on the world in the mid '90s. That song had tribal war dance zing aplenty. On this solo effort Chris dons the troubadour tights gracefully. The harmonies usher in a "Come here" gesture so as to invite you onto a complex voyage with plenty of mind blowing twists and turns. The lacing of individual parts results in a whole that you'll have a hard time putting down. Chords run the gamut from bubbly warm to cool and detached. The manner in which the musicians shift in and out of beautiful possibilities gives one pause to reflect. Chris comes across as highly content to keep exploring his artistic canvas, widening his horizons as he traverses wounded heart terrain. He's not beneath asking the "What does life on Earth mean anyway" question. I'm supposing this because of one lyric in particular..."Trying to take a picture of the sun. It won't help you see the light." "Nearly Forgot My Broken Heart" isn't the mammoth undertaking of the likes of "Black Hole Sun" but it's certainly carved out a niche of its own as a sweeping theatrical production. You'd think we were back in Shakespearean England judging from the video. Nice how Chris opts for something beyond grade school booty chasing and instead gives our minds the aerobic workout it so richly needs. Chris has a voice where the pain bleeds off his lips in shriek form. The wound stays fresh but he and the band play on. Verse four draws heavily on blood. The blood signifies a kiss he won't miss. Words make cuts where blood pours out. The man knows how to sweep the ladies off their feet, doesn't he. Working in Chris's favor his new effort doesn't involve much effort from a time standpoint. For a song delving into the romantic commitment forum there's not much commitment to be had from the listener side of the spectrum. He packs a sizable quantity of pathos in under 4 minutes. He gives us a blow by blow and that, to say the least, isn't for the faint of heart. Want a convincing statement made to that effect? Verse two doesn't hold back on any details. If you want to get Biblical about things how about "When you came along the time was right. Pulled me like an apple red and ripe. Wasn't very long you took a bite and did me wrong, and it serves me right." Going forward in Chris's career I foresee the biggest challenge is going to be distancing himself from the Soundgarden brand name to become a musical force to be reckoned with in his own right. "Nearly Forgot My Broken Heart" remembered to remind us Chris can command the rock stage given the right material. His heart's into it from word one.