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Evaluating the Teargarden Part 4: Astral Planes

And we've arrived at the fourth and final track of the first EP, how does this stack up against what we've heard thus far?

EP #1, Track #4: "Astral Planes"
Well before I even downloaded this latest track, I was hoping for an epic feedback-laden guitar workout ala "Silverfuck" or "Gossamer" to wrap up the first EP. Upon seeing the track running time of four minutes and six seconds, I figured that definitely wasn't to be the case. After my first listen, however, it seems I was only half wrong. "Astral Planes" certainly has the feel of one of those songs that Corgan and company could stretch to epic lengths in concert, but in this recorded form I can't help but feel we're getting a truncated, neutered version. In a way, I'm reminded of the edited radio version of my absolute favorite Pumpkins track ever, "Drown". Decent enough in an abridged version, but it loses 98% of the passion and fire that make the full length version essential listening. This version feels like a teaser trailer, but even worse in that there won't likely be a full-length payoff. The song starts out fairly promising, erupting immediately into a fuzzed-out guitar drone anchored by a nice bass line and decent drumming. Things get even better after the first "verse", when the guitar spins off into the atmosphere for a brief bit, giving a taste of Corgan's space-rock love. The guitar work is absolutely fantastic this go round, reminding me of how underrated Corgan's playing has always been. The song's biggest weakness is its clear lack of structure, cycling between the pseudo-verses of repeated mantras and guitar wankery with a little "pop" bridge tossed in for good measure. Which leaves no room for any build or climax, just a constant state of forward motion with no hint of drama or dynamics. If I were rewarded with ten full minutes of the space-rock guitar freakout hinted, I would be a little more accepting. As it is, however, the lack of structure only serves to underscore how this feels more like a snippet of something larger, rather than a fully formed track of its own. Maybe live this track will take on a life of its own, but this version just leaves me frustrated and wanting much much more.

Rating: 6.8/10.0

To sum up the first EP:
1. "A Song For A Son" 7.9/10.0
2. "Widow Wake My Mind" 7.2/10.0
3. "A Stitch In Time" 6.7/10.0
4. "Astral Planes" 6.8/10.0

EP #1 Average = 7.2/10.0
Overall, this has been better than I expected, but each track seems to disappoint me a little bit more than the previous. "Astral Planes" could have been a thrilling end to the first EP, but it just doesn't work like it should. I'm interested to see what comes next, as this has been far from the train wreck it could have been.