Silversun Pickups
Swoon
Dangerbird
Action Rating: 6.5/10
Alternative Rock is alive and well in the form of Silversun Pickups. After breaking the surface into mainstream music with their 2006 album, Carnavas, the band is back with their second full length, Swoon.
Based in Los Angeles, California, the band consists of Brian Aubert (lead vocals, guitar), Nikki Monninger (bass, vocals), Christopher Guanlao (drums), and Joe Lester (Keys).
This band is often compared to the Smashing Pumpkins. The first song on Swoon, “There’s No Secrets This Year,” confirms this comparison. The music is very reminiscent of early Smashing Pumpkins. Aside from that song, the band has continued their own sound further on this album.
Brian Aubert’s voice is often described as androgynous, which is part of Silversun Pickups’ signature sound. Along with this are the fuzz-drenched guitars that sound so similar to the keyboard that they are almost impossible to tell apart. Their mysterious sound and lyrics open to interpretation are part of their appeal.
The one element that makes Silversun Pickups is their ear for a great hook and melody.
The highlight of Swoon is “Panic Switch,” the album’s first single and a perfect example of their sound. The song starts with a distortion-soaked riff that fits the aggressive nature of the song. Taking note of other great nineties alternative bands, such as My Bloody Valentine or even Nirvana, “Panic Switch” has a great use of dynamics with the soft, subtle verse and a loud, heavy chorus. “Panic Switch” is almost six minutes long but it is never boring.
“Growing Old is Getting Old” gets old really fast. It is boring and uneventful for more than half of the song. Nearly three minutes go by without anything interesting happening, then the guitar appears and the song explodes into full fashion.
On “It’s Nice to Know You Work Alone,” Nikki and Brian trade off lines in the verses, but it is hard to tell who exactly is singing with Brian’s token androgynous voice.
The band used strings on their EP Pikul, and “The Royal We” reintroduces the use of strings, where they are featured front and center along with the guitar. This song has a sense of urgency and is almost over dramatic, but the strings provide a warm feeling. The strings also add a nice touch to “Catch and Release” as they accent Brian’s emotion-filled vocal.
“Draining,” which uses a sixteen-piece orchestra, goes by unnoticed. It is a slower song that merely acts as a break between two of the most memorable songs, “Panic Switch” and “Sort Of.”
“Is it perfect in our little hell?” Brian sings on "Surrounded" the albums final track giving it an "epic" feel.
The best element about the songs is how dynamic they are. None of them end where they started and they travel all over the place, keeping those pop hooks intact. On their first album, Carnavas, the songs sometimes blended together where as on Swoon they are more diverse. Brian is quoted saying, "Everything that was confusing on Carnavas, especially guitar and keyboard blends and the vocal androgynous thing, we went way further with that. So if that was something you liked, you're really going to like this one, if you hated it, there's other albums out there." At times it feels like they are trying to be too “artsy” and too dramatic. Either way, after a couple listens these melodies will creep into your mind.
Standout Tracks: There's No Secrets This Year, It's Nice To Know You Work Alone, Panic Switch, Sort Of, Substitution
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