When Weezer's last album opened with a dig on rockers who work with Timbaland, it probably wasn't intended for Chris Cornell -- but does the shoe fit? To their credit, Cornell and the celebrated hip-hop producer could have just tossed off a few flashy singles, but they both insisted on making a bona-fide album. Cornell had been veering dangerously close to pop-lite territory anyway, so only stood to benefit from Timbaland's visionary sonic touch. As expected, the producer provides sparkling, beat-driven soundscapes, but his master stroke comes in his ability to extract positively addicting hooks out of the least obvious of instruments. He also capitalizes on the latent R&B tendencies Cornell has shown from day one. Cornell's days as a brooding alt-rocker with a sharp poetic edge may be long gone, but at least he's found the nerve to show a completely new side of himself.