I firmly believe Chris Cornell is one of the most important voices in rock music over the past two decades. So it pains me now to hear him straining as he reaches for the high register that is his trademark. Most of the time, he still sounds amazing. But too often for my liking, he strikes me as someone doing a topnotch impersonation of the former Soundgarden and Audioslave singer. He sounds an awful lot like the Chris Cornell we have come to know over the years, but the magic that made him one of the best ever remains just beyond his reach. He sounds human now, which maybe is what he’s going for judging by the cover of Carry On, his second solo outing.

Cornell’s first solo release, Euphoria Morning (1999), earned him critical praise and a Grammy nomination but mystified fans with its radical stylistic departure from Soundgarden. After a three album detour with Audioslave (of which only the debut was a satisfying offering), Cornell is back in similar territory. Carry On is all over the map, giving us straightforward rock (“No Such Thing,” “Poison Eye,” “Your Soul Today”), ballads (“Arms Around Your Love”), R&B-tinged numbers (“She’ll Never Be Your Man”), country-flavored tunes (“Finally Forever”), a James Bond theme (“You Know My Name” from last year’s Casino Royale) and even a cover of Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean.” The album is always interesting, even if every song doesn’t quite succeed. The distance from Soundgarden—it’s been 10 years since they called it quits—makes the wide range of styles less jarring than it was on Euphoria Morning. We’re able to judge the songs on their own merits rather than compare them to Cornell’s former band.

Though I’ve been hard on Cornell lately, his vocals here are actually stronger than they have been since the first Audioslave album (2002). He may not be what he was during Soundgarden’s heyday, but I get the feeling that he’s fine with that. He’s worked in two highly successful bands and now he just wants to make music for himself. I’m curious to see where he goes from here.