Smashing Pumpkins: 11 Essential Tracks All Fans Should Listen To
8. Hummer
As soon as Hummer starts it's almost hypnotic. The listener is put in a trance from the repetitive static effect like a subliminal transmission slowly taking control. Right when the bass starts rolling into a groove, we're smacked with the thickest guitar tone and rhythm imaginable.
It's a blend of some of the best elements of the band's sludge inspired grooves, shoegaze soundscapes, their penchant for jamming, and otherworldly atmosphere. When Corgan's singing breaks in and the song calms down, it's a palpable exalted sigh of relief.
His lyrics are uplifting and empathetic towards the disenchanted and misfits of the world. He gives hope in letting them know it's okay; they're not alone. For Corgan, the disenchanted understand happiness better than anyone: to solely experience happiness diminishes the moments in life where we feel joy.
Hummer feels like a breath of fresh air after a long day of suffocating in monotony; a daydream we tenaciously cling onto for relief.