Just when the Stone Temple Pilots finally rid themselves of the Pearl Jam soundalike albatross, lead vocalist Scott Weiland decided to go solo, launching his new image as the bastard child of Ziggy Stardust and Robert Downey Jr. Every time Weiland fell off the wagon, you couldn't help but feel bad for the rest of the Stone Temple Pilots.

Don't feel bad anymore. The remaining Pilots are going to do just fine. After luring in vocalist Dave Coutts, they've adopted the moniker Talk Show and cut their first album.

Without Weiland in the fold, the lyrics are now free reign for the rest of the band, and it's become obvious why Weiland used to handle the libretto. The lyrics are now much less esoteric, and instead much more Hallmark. Singing mainly about relationships, love, and, er... love, years of pent-up emotions flow forth on this self-titled album. Let's hope this saccharine enema does its job.

Musically, Talk Show revolves around STP's strength: the DeLeo Brothers. With Dean on the six-string and Robert on the four-string, they show their prowess for coming up with memorable melodies that complement the vocal parts. Who doesn't remember the instrumental arrangements of "Plush" and "Interstate Love Song" as vividly as the vocals? Dean DeLeo again proves himself as one of the top all-around guitar players in the music business, handling electrics and acoustics like Jackie Chan handles thugs in an alley. Also in from STP, drummer Eric Kretz hasn't lost the funk, grooving through the tracks, including several songs he wrote-- words, music, and all.

Some of the songs on Talk Show are steps into new fields for the rhythm section. "So Long" is built around an insane guitar loop that eventually fades from earshot and "Behind" is a slow groove in a Beatles-esque vein. But these new journeys don't always have happy endings though, as "End of the World" and "Wash Me Down" eventually become somewhat repetitive.

For his part, Coutts does a credible job of handling what's thrown at him. His voice is strictly standard metal shifted into downgear for these anti-metal nineties. And if he doesn't work out, what the heck? Sammy and Dave are available.

-Lang Whitaker