Cyr
by The Smashing Pumpkins
User Score
6.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 67 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 43 out of 67
  2. Mixed: 11 out of 67
  3. Negative: 13 out of 67
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  1. RichStanley
    Dec 1, 2020
    2
    Utterly disappointing output from a man who wanted his band back together. Jimmy playing drum machine beats and James no where to be found. Ploddy GCSE synths, bloated tracklisting and absolutely nothing to come back to apart from maybe the CYR track itself. What a waste of time for everyone involved. Production is ok though, hence 2 stars.
  2. DavidPatras
    Nov 27, 2020
    3
    Billy decided to throw away the power of the life band and record almost everything by himself again. The difference between this record and the previous post break-up albums is that on Zeitgeist or Teargarden there were some interesting ideas ruined by horrible production. This is good production of a horrible idea. I don't mind the synths, but synth for SP means Saturnine or Eye. This isBilly decided to throw away the power of the life band and record almost everything by himself again. The difference between this record and the previous post break-up albums is that on Zeitgeist or Teargarden there were some interesting ideas ruined by horrible production. This is good production of a horrible idea. I don't mind the synths, but synth for SP means Saturnine or Eye. This is completely different band with boring uninspired Billys vocals.… Expand
  3. StevenX
    Nov 28, 2020
    3
    Billy Corgan (at least I think it's him - has anyone seen him and Corey Feldman in a room together?) has stated that his goal with "Cyr" was to make a contemporary album. So why is it stuck in the Eighties? Despite the relative simplicity of the songs, the pretension level is often still a 10 when it comes to titles. Ooh, let's spell it differently, genius? (No.) And for every uptempoBilly Corgan (at least I think it's him - has anyone seen him and Corey Feldman in a room together?) has stated that his goal with "Cyr" was to make a contemporary album. So why is it stuck in the Eighties? Despite the relative simplicity of the songs, the pretension level is often still a 10 when it comes to titles. Ooh, let's spell it differently, genius? (No.) And for every uptempo gasser, there's at least one awkward ballad to blow the momentum. The much-heralded return of James Iha for the last album seems anticlimactic now, as he's buried in aging synths for some reason. Female backing vocals aside, the best things here are (1) Jimmy Chamberlain can still slam, though he doesn't get enough chances to show off that prowess, and (2) Corgan's voice is mostly stabilized - his annoying tendency to veer from baby stripper voice on soft notes to snotty whine on the loud ones has found a happier medium - still a bit brash, but you don't have to turn the treble down to 2 anymore. "I know I'm ruthless," Corgan sings on "Ramona", which would make more of an impact if it weren't such a lightweight mid-tempo thing. Bottom line: edit, Billy, edit. This could have been a great EP. You'll definitely play it more than once, though - otherwise the single is all you'll remember a week from now.… Expand
  4. ghostwolves
    Nov 27, 2020
    2
    Mr. Corgan follows in the vein of his last double album, Cotillions, where he wrote one cool song and then recorded 20 different variants of it to make an album.

    The reason MCIS worked as a double was it's amazing diversity. Billy has long forgotten what that means over the years. This time he put together a cool synth-based attack, added female vocals, and then repeats it ad nausem. The    Mr. Corgan follows in the vein of his last double album, Cotillions, where he wrote one cool song and then recorded 20 different variants of it to make an album.

    The reason MCIS worked as a double was it's amazing diversity. Billy has long forgotten what that means over the years. This time he put together a cool synth-based attack, added female vocals, and then repeats it ad nausem.

    The few times he picks up a guitar lack any sort of bite and almost come off embarrassing. The ship has long sailed on this band making anything of merit. Billy's inability to take criticism or ideas from ANYONE has turned SP into a circus act.    … Expand
  5. Kidgotluck
    Nov 28, 2020
    1
    1% pumpkins magic here. Songs are emotionless, uninspired, repetitive and outright desultory. This has nothing to do with genre, I adore plenty of their electronic music. Plus, it's not a double album. That is the band clutching at straws.
  6. Fliesdontrattle
    Nov 28, 2020
    0
    Just absolutely dreadful. So disappointed. Almost as bad as Shiny, and that's saying something. Wyttch and Seek and You Shall Destroy - the worst rock songs if the century
  7. jimmypowder
    Dec 5, 2020
    0
    Horrible . This is not the Smashing Pumpkins ive seen in concert and listened to on cd.
  8. TMDNUMBER1FAN
    Nov 28, 2020
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This is so bad. Reviewers comparing it to singles. But this is the band who put out Geek USA, Hummer, Obscured, Shame, The Camera Eye, I of The Mourning, Ruby, Porcelina, Mayonaise, Snail and over 100 more 10/10 songs. I f***ing love The Future Embrace btw.

    Anyone raving about this I'm pretty sure is a Corgan sycophant or hasn't heard any new music for some time. It's so weak. Why not check out some new music. [Link omitted per site rules]

    Meant to say check out The Microdance and Holy Fawn. Links not permitted here. Both bands have phemoninal songs s, tommes of varie, music with passjon, spirit and ambition. What we used to expect from SP.    … Expand
  9. Marco2020
    Dec 5, 2020
    1
    effeminate voice of billy corgan without solid and heavy background of rock rythm section shows how limited his capabilities are. Cyr has no smashing pumpkins spirit at all: there are no James Iha guitar (which previosly impressed Steve Vai himself) - no Jimmy Chamberlin drums - (one of the best drummers in the World) only plastic, irritating patterns (very dissapointing). 20 songs -effeminate voice of billy corgan without solid and heavy background of rock rythm section shows how limited his capabilities are. Cyr has no smashing pumpkins spirit at all: there are no James Iha guitar (which previosly impressed Steve Vai himself) - no Jimmy Chamberlin drums - (one of the best drummers in the World) only plastic, irritating patterns (very dissapointing). 20 songs - one big joke - SHAME. Someone could say, that it was Billy choice - yes, it was his personal choice, not band voice, again - but despite the the overall weak sound, all songs are dull, repetitive, boring. Corgan again acted as a fool (blessed) dictator, refusing to use James talent and Jimmy’s genius SHAME!… Expand
  10. Dikano
    Mar 24, 2021
    0
    Long time Smashing Pumpkins fan here. This album blows. Look, this party sadly came to a screeching halt after Machina. Zeitgeist, Oceania, Monuments, Shiny and now CYR are all profoundly uninspired albums that bear no resemblance with the Pumpkins' exceptional earlier material.

Awards & Rankings

64
#64 Most Discussed Album of 2020

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
61

Generally favorable reviews - based on 21 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 21
  2. Mixed: 14 out of 21
  3. Negative: 0 out of 21
  1. Classic Rock Magazine
    Dec 8, 2020
    70
    It's a concoction that shouldn't work but does. ... Disarming. [Jan 2021, p.82]
  2. American Songwriter
    Dec 4, 2020
    80
    By turns arched, ambitious, intriguing and expressive this sprawling 20 song set recalls the band’s earlier epics with melodies that boast the same elevated intensity that’s driven their signature sound from early on.
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  3. Rolling Stone
    Dec 2, 2020
    40
    Rather than a through-line back to the Pumpkins’ trip-hoppy Adore, Cyr often sounds like Corgan was going for a new-wave sound that recalls Talk Talk, and unfortunately he has neither the singular vision he had in the Nineties nor the melodic savvy of Talk Talk’s Mark Hollis to pull it off. Instead, most of the songs, all filled with neo-goth romantic lyrics, stumble and fumble over meandering melodies with no sing-along choruses to buttress them.
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