Review Summary: A complete departure from the Pumpkins' fuzzy noise-rock, Iha channels Aimee Mann in this utterly forgettable solo debut.
For his solo debut, Iha moved about as far away from the Pumpkins' production-heavy noise-rock sound as he could whilst still using a guitar. An almost entirely acoustic affair, "Let It Come Down" plays like an
Aimee Mann album: light and easy on the ear, but downright repetitive. The self-penned lyrics are as inconsequential as anything Britney ever sang, and aside from the uptempo opener "Be Strong Now", it soon becomes difficult to tell some songs apart.
In an interview shortly after the Smashing Pumpkins' reformation in 2005 (sans Iha and bassist Wretzky D'Arcy), Billy Corgan said Iha's biggest contribution to the original incarnation of the band had been 'high fashion'. And harsh as that may sound, by the end of "Let It Come Down", its easy to see why none of the few Iha-penned songs the Pumpkins recorded were never released as singles. It's a cliché to say so, but the opening track aside, most of songs on this album really do sound the same.
Also contains traces of slide-guitar.
