Scott Weiland's greatest achievement over the past few years has been to survive. The poor guy has had to fight a very public battle with a long-term heroin problem that threatened to destroy his life, never mind his band.
In the circumstances, it'd be great to be able to report that "Shangri La Dee Da" represented a triumphant rebirth. Sadly, such is not the case, although it does have its moments. Stone Temple Pilots' problem was always that they emerged in the wake of Nirvana, sounded strikingly similar, and suffered from the comparison. Here, they still indulge in some of that old-time grunge riffing on tracks like "Dumb Love" and "Long Way Home", and even throw in a song - "Too Cool Queenie"- that is obviously about Kurt and Courtney.
Elsewhere, they've lightened up a bit. The single "Days Of The Week" is a likeable piece of guitar-pop from somewhere near Stereophonics territory, and it's far from being the only melodic moment here. "Wonderful", for instance, is rather gorgeous: a plea for love and forgiveness laced with just enough guitar noise to stop it being cloying. STP take the mellowness a bit far on "A Song For Sleeping", an acoustic lullaby in which Weiland gives God and parenthood the credit for his personal redemption. But perhaps it'll earn them a new fanbase among family-values compaigners.
The trouble is that while STP may have lived dangerously, they play safe musically. There's plenty here that's pleasant, but there's nothing startling, nothing challenging. Weiland deserves great credit for changing his own life, but it's hard to see STP changing many listeners' lives with this competent, sensible rock music.
