We know his name but do we know his game?
This new album from Chris Cornell was coming out regardless of what happened with Audioslave, but Cornell hasn't exactly hidden from the fact that he wanted to draw the band to a close to give him total freedom to work at his pace, to not have to wait around for others and, most importantly, not have to compromise his ideas for anybody. It's for this reason that 'Carry On' comes across as a real back to basics record.
Soundgarden and Audioslave were at times very aggressive bands, and at other points their songs were anthemic powerhouses. There's nothing quite like either on this solo album from Chris Cornell, even the heavier moments have a simplicity that creates an intimacy that really only the acoustic tracks should do. A perfect example of exactly where Cornell seems to be right now with his music is the first single 'Arms Around Your Love'. Arguably not something that would appeal to fans of any of his previous projects as this single is leaning dangerously towards the soft rock of the eighties, but when you're listening to a vocalist as distinctive as Chris Cornell, the fact that you could imagine Jon Bon Jovi singing it doesn't seem to matter.
'Carry On' has a lot of what you would describe as middle-of-the-road rock on offer 'Safe and Sound', 'She'll Never Be Your Man', 'Ghosts' and especially 'Silence The Voices' stand out, the latter is one song that really does fit into the rock anthem box.
There are a few more upbeat rock tracks, album opener 'No Such Thing' does have balls, and fans of his mighty Bond theme 'You Know My Name' will be pleased to see it sneak in near the end. The trouble is by the time you reach the top ten chart smash you're likely to be longing for something to really pack a punch. Weighing in at a hefty sixteen tracks, 'Carry On' does struggle to hold the attention throughout.
Chris Cornell's voice has the chance to show off its more soulful nature on this record, and being a self-confessed studier of the technical side of music when he was a teenager the production values are as you might expect, extremely polished.
When you've been at the top of your game for over a decade and a half you're perfectly entitled to make the kind of solo album that lets you express your creative freedom. Sadly on this occasion as the album works its way through its sixteen songs, as a listener you're wishing for even more innovation than you actually get.