American Gothic

American Gothic is the fourth EP by The Smashing Pumpkins. The EP was announced on the band's website on December 19, 2007 with songwriter Billy Corgan describing it as a continuation of their 2007 album Zeitgeist and "comment on the state of our country." It was released digitally on January 2, 2008 and as a CD in the United Kingdom on February 11, 2008.

Background
After playing "Again, Again, Again (The Crux)" in Los Angeles in late 2006 at an event organized by Pete Townshend's girlfriend, Corgan was asked by Townshend himself if the song was going to be on Zeitgeist. While the song did not make the album, Corgan always planned to release it in some form, resulting in its appearance on American Gothic.

Corgan said of the EP I had written a bunch of material during the residencies in Asheville and San Francisco [earlier this year], and fans kept asking us if we were gonna put any of that stuff out. iTunes came to us wanting to do something together, so it just felt right.

Corgan also made high-resolution artwork for the EP available for download through the band's website.

In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Billy Corgan stated that, with American Gothic and the new single "G.L.O.W.", the band "finally turned the corner... where it's starting to feel like our music again, and not theirs, whoever 'they' might be," referring to the band's choice to continue making music without a record label.

Music
The EP contains four acoustic tracks that feature folk strumming. Their sound has been described as "an extension of the straight-ahead alternative rock sound that the Smashing Pumpkins returned to on the band's 2007 comeback outing, Zeitgeist." The EP also features a more polished production work in contrast to the band's previous acoustic music input, which mostly consisted of demos.

The track "The Rose March" features an electric rhythm guitar and guitar picking reminiscent of The Smashing Pumpkins' early work, as well as overdubbed harmonies. The track "Again, Again, Again (The Crux)", which was described to be catchiest on the EP, features drum fills played by the Smashing Pumpkins Jimmy Chamberlin. The "jangly" track "Pox" was described as "the pick of the bunch, grungy acoustic and bass fairly thrumming with latent menace," while the track "Sunkissed" is an atmospheric song that "recaptures some of the group's '90s verve."

Release
The EP includes four unreleased tracks recorded in the late 2007 break between tours at the Pass Studio in Los Angeles. In the United States, the EP was released as an exclusive digital release for the iTunes Store on January 2, 2008 as part of a re-release of Zeitgeist, but it received a physical release internationally on February 11 and March 4 in Canada.

7digital also released a download-only "UK Tour Edition" on February 25 that features four bonus tracks, all recorded during the February 2008 European tour.

Critical reception
Consequence of Sound critic Michael Roffman wrote: "If anything, Gothic is a step forward from Zeitgeist, in that there are hints, both lyrically and musically, of that despair and angst that made ballads “Tonight, Tonight” and “Crush” so successful." Joachim Hackshaw of Television New Zealand praised the EP and stated: "The EP is full of shifts in momentum and the drums really drive the mood on this brief musical journey." Hackshaw eventually concluded: "I can't really say enough about this EP apart from to give it my full recommendation, I just wish it was longer." AllMusic commented: "Though it probably won't result in many new converts, the EP proves that the well-received Zeitgeist wasn't just a Corgan-fueled fluke."

Personnel

 * The Smashing Pumpkins
 * Billy Corgan – lead vocals, guitar, keyboards, production, mixing, art direction, photography
 * Jimmy Chamberlin – drums, production, mixing


 * Additional musicians
 * Lisa Harriton – keyboards, backing vocals on "Lily" and "That's the Way"
 * Ginger Reyes – bass guitar, backing vocals on "Lily"
 * Jeff Schroeder – guitar, backing vocals on "Lily"


 * Production
 * Roy Thomas Baker – production and mixing on "Again, Again, Again"
 * Stephen Marcussen – mastering
 * Zephrus Sowers – assistant engineer
 * Matt Taylor – art direction, design
 * Bjorn Thorsrud – recording, mixing