After an eight year gap between solo albums, Chris Cornell filled that void of time by fronting the hard rock act Audioslave (with great success). He finally returned to the studio as a solo act in 2007 after leaving the aforementioned Audioslave in something of a dicey fashion. So soon after Audioslave released its final album together as a group, Revelations, in September of 2006, the prolific Cornell was all ready to put out his own CD the next June – entitled Carry On. The title is rather appropriate because regardless of whether he is the singer under the Soundgarden or Audioslave moniker, or with his own name, the music carries on – and he indeed does just that.

        Carry On is another fine installment in the lengthy and rich library of Cornell music. It may not be his strongest work to date, but it features all the aspects that all Cornell fans know and love. His voice, as always, is in top notch form. His songs vary in style and mood ranging from the muscular opening track “No Such Thing”, to the rock/pop hybrid “Arms Around Your Love”, to the sweet “Disappearing Act”, the R&B infused “She’ll Never Be Your Man”, and a truly awesome, emotional cover of Michael Jackson’s classic “Billie Jean.” Additionally, Cornell included “You Know My Name”, the theme song to the James Bond film Casino Royale at the end, and it is indeed another one of his powerhouse tracks. This album acts as a showcase of Cornell’s songwriting prowess and as a testament to his superb abilities as a musician.

        When comparing it to as a whole to Cornell’s first solo outing, Euphoria Morning (1999), it sort of pales to its predecessors greatness. Carry On may have a greater range but the overall cohesiveness and song quality was far better on Euphoria Morning. However, in this album’s defense, it is a consistent one – and that is one of Cornell’s best qualities, as he continues to make great music one album after another.

        I recommend Carry On for many reasons, but perhaps the most prevalent is for its range in style. You’ll be treated to a variety of truly distinct, unique, and identifiable tracks. It is a solid, enjoyable album, worthy of a place amongst Cornell’s successful and prolific discography.

TRACK HIGHLIGHTS:

"No Such Thing"

"Billie Jean"

"You Know My Name"

"Arms Around Your Love"

"Disappearing Act"

"She'll Never Be Your Man"

-Kurt L.

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