Cornell and Timbaland break genre barriers

    Who could have imagined that Timbaland, one of the most sought-after hip-hop producers, and Chris Cornell, the archetypal frontman of hard rock, would join forces to create "Scream" (2009), a pop album of epic proportions? This legendary meeting of the minds is a giant step away from today's cookie-cutter pop music industry. "Scream" marks Cornell's bravest effort to date to shed labels and evade categorization. To diehard Soundgarden and Audioslave fans, this album may seem just as trite and insignificant as the run of the mill Top 40, but there are many exciting cogs turning underneath Timbaland's dependable but quirky dance beats. Cornell, for his part, has reinvigorated dance music with the raw, unbridled power he once fed into the grunge movement. Together, the pair achieves moderate success across this cohesive record.
    Benefiting from the success of Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Alice in Chains, Cornell's band, Soundgarden, rose to fame in the early '90s as one of the most commercially successful acts on the Seattle grunge scene. Cornell already exhibited a vocal range and lyrical style unique in its honest portrayal of depression, loneliness and anxiety. Cornell later united with the band members of Rage Against the Machine to create Audioslave, one of the first rock supergroups of the 21st century.
    The very existence of "Scream" fills a glaring hole that had developed in today's realm of popular music. With the advent of Auto-Tune, dance tracks no longer require a talented voice to find airplay. Additionally, songs often lack the emotional depth and musicality that could make them more than just something to move to.
    Cornell and Timbaland attempt to deliver the whole package, mixing meaningful sounds with danceable ones. With Cornell's world-weary and often heartbreaking vocals, Timbaland's beats seem operatic and bordering on grandiose, perhaps in an attempt to match one of the strongest voices of the '90s and today. Unfortunately, the beats often mask Cornell's power, reducing his voice to one of the many computerized production elements. Despite each track's energy and driving rhythms, some beg for Cornell's unadulterated voice and his classic electric guitars. Maybe if each musician had ventured even further from his usual approach, a greater fusion of styles could have been achieved.
    Though "Scream" is best listened to from start to finish, a handful of tracks stand out as strokes of two-minded genius. On the slower side, both "Long Gone" and "Scream" are beautifully crafted pop ballads with tender lyrics and sensitive production detail. "Long Gone" is especially enhanced by heavy percussion and subtle electric guitar. "Take Me Alive" is a hypnotic track with Middle-Eastern influences and haunting harmonies.
    "Time" and "Get Up" are two of the better fast-paced dance tracks of the album. This is Cornell's weakest area, though, as his lyrics and vocals are strongest on the sweeping, emotionally-charged tracks. The upbeat tempos and heavy computerization mask the delicate nuances of Cornell's voice, tinged with years of alcoholic regret and drug-fueled depression.
    "Scream" is a daring album guaranteed to shake up the music bubble of both pop-loving tweens and alternative aficionados. Regardless of Cornell's past and fans' widespread dismay at his partnership with Timbaland, records like "Scream" inject much-needed diversity into the flailing music industry.
    In a business where trends change daily and relevance is ever elusive, Cornell continues to be a fixture of the music industry. Though his reinventions may be more subtle than those of Bowie or Madonna, Cornell's many faces and many bands have garnered him enormous respect. Hopefully, "Scream" will push Cornell further and deeper into his bottomless well of creativity.