Send "Silversun Pickups " Ringtones to your Cell 
| Nme |
 A weird thing has been happening recently. Whales have started beaching themselves, committing suicide if you like, in their hundreds. Eighty – 80! – hurled themselves on to the sands in Australia a couple of weeks back and died by the score as helpless humans fruitlessly tried to roll them back into the briny depths. But it’s not just happening there, which begs the question: what gives with all these baleens buying the farm? Do they know something we don’t? Are the whales getting out of the game before the whole world goes even further into meltdown than it has already?We’re asking this in relation to the new Silversun Pickups album partly because, well, one of the first things that you hear is the sound of mournful whale song, but also because ‘Swoon’ is a bit of a dying whale of a record. In a good way; vast, dark, a little mysterious, sad, dignified and palpably in pain. Frontman Brian Aubert has noted of the songs on ‘Swoon’ that “some are quiet and delicate… others are just fucking loud”. Yet even the quietest ones – the pristine, glacial ‘Growing Old Is Getting Old’, the sensuous, lovelorn ‘Draining’ – have a tendency to barrel into huge, awe-inspiring displays of momentum and amp-endangerment. But it’s when SP leave the volume on their raspy, rust-encrusted riffs high, especially on epic closer ‘Surrounded’, that they are most at home. That said, the twitchy, bass-driven ‘Catch And Release’ is a curious delight, all the imminent explosion of prime Nirvana with none of the pay-off, which is not to say that it doesn’t work – only the itchy, proggish ‘Sort Of’ is a damp squib. The rest of it, well – would ‘suicide anthems for whales’ be too gushing a compliment?...full text |
| Sputnikmusic |
| In the past, when ever I've listened to Silversun Pickups, I've always gotten the impression that I've heard a vaguely similar sound before. This isn't so much a negative observation as it is a curious one. Critics have often likened the band to Smashing Pumpkins and, to a lesser degree, My Bloody Valentine; though such comparisons are certainly appropriate, Carnavas never came off as Siamese Dream-worship. Rather, it simply explored early 90s alt rock and shoegaze themes and applied it in a manner that was relevant to an alternative band in 2006. Predictably, the results were fantastic, with tracks like "Rusted Wheel" and "Lazy Eye" among the strongest songs of the year. With Swoon, Silversun Pickups continues to explore their 90s rock sound, while further embracing their pop sensibilities. If some of the shoegaze elements have been toned down, the band hasn't exactly softened up. Vocalist/guitarist Brian Aubert summed up Swoon aptly, stating that "[while] some songs are very quiet and delicate, others are just ***ing loud". Aubert's guitar crunch is a staple throughout the album; first single "Panic Switch", one of the most aggressive songs Silversun Pickups has written thus far, is especially characterized by Aubert's heavy usage of distortion. Songs like "It's Nice to Know You Work Alone" and "Sort Of" also utilize guitar rock elements, albeit not quite as liberally. Unlike "Panic Switch", Aubert's guitar tracks aren't so much the centrepiece of the song as they focus more on accentuating pop hooks and melodies. It makes for an effective change in pace, diversifying the record and maintaining a distinct atmosphere that makes "There's No Secrets This Year" and "Panic Switch" so absorbing....full text |
| Avclub |
| Silversun Pickups’ 2006 debut, Carnavas, seemed to arrive a dozen years too late. Awash in the guitar sounds of early-’90s alternative rock, the record recalled My Bloody Valentine (“Melatonin”), Veruca Salt (“Well Thought Out Twinkles”), and most conspicuously, Smashing Pumpkins (“Waste It On,” “Lazy Eye”). Of the possible eras to emulate, Silversun picked one just about due for a renaissance—which may help explain why the L.A. group caught on, especially with listeners who came of age when those sounds were new. ...full text |
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