Scream [PA] (CD - 2009)

Personnel: Timbaland, Jerome Harmon (various instruments); Dan Warner (guitar, guitars); Darryl Pearson (guitar, background vocals); Brent Kutzle (cello); Lasim Richards, Phillip Lassiter, Brian Keegan, Frank Chadwyck Bernstein, Rashawn Ross (horns); Lee Levin, Jason Sutter (drums); Demacio "Demo" Castellon (programming); Timmy T (scratches); Jim Beanz, Ezekiel Lewis, Justin Timberlake, Ryan Tedder (background vocals).

Audio Mixers: Chris Godbey; Demacio "Demo" Castellon; Fareed Salamah; Julian Jr. Vazquez.

Recording information: Dirty Ugly Studios; Studio City Sound, Studio City, CA; The Hit Factory Criteria Miami; The Studio At The Setai.

Photographer: Randall Slavin.

Chris Cornell may have epitomized grunge when he fronted Seattle's Soundgarden in the 1990s, but he's had a diverse career since as a member of the supergroup Audioslave and as a solo artist. SCREAM, released in 2009, is Cornell's third solo effort, and shows just how far he's traveled since the days of sludgy, ear-splitting guitars and flannel shirts. A collaboration with producer extraordinaire Timbaland, SCREAM finds Cornell exploring R&B and dance-pop amid a flurry of stuttering, hip-hop-influenced beats.

Naturally, Cornell's formidable pipes still deliver plenty of growl and bite, and longtime fans may find the combination of his organic wail with electronic production an uneasy one. Yet tunes like "Time," "Get Up," and "Take Me Alive" have a slick, catchy appeal of mainstream pop (several tracks were written by OneRepublic's Ryan Tedder) and a sound that may remind listeners of Justin Timberlake or T-Pain, complete with layered, processed beats and Autotune-tweaked vocals. SCREAM is a step outside the box for both Cornell and Timbaland, and should prove interesting to fans of radio-ready dance-pop. minimize