| Silversun Pickups - Swoon |
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Holy crap, the original Smashing Pumpkins are back together! Just kidding, but these guys are just as good. Let’s be honest with ourselves. Who honestly thought the Silversun Pickups would release another album, let alone another excellent album like their latest effort, Swoon? They seemed like one of those bands destined to having that one good album and then beginning a long slide into obscurity or disbandment.Well we were wrong. They’re back and better than ever with tighter songwriting and a familiar yet more adventurous song structure still dripped in their beloved 90’s reverb. Of course they still sound suspiciously like the Smashing Pumpkins, but thankfully lead singer/guitarist, Brian Aubert, manages to keep the annoying piercing twinge out of his voice that Billy Corgan became so (in)famous for. Kicking off the album to an excellent start is the pulsing “There’s No Secrets This Year,” which gently lulls listeners back into the world of the Pickups and clears the way for the more trying cuts songs on the album. Aside from the occasional orchestral flourish it's clear that Swoon keeps things tight and studio interference down to a minimum. Thankfully this allows the frantic beats and dark lyrics to come to the forefront with Aubert’s guitar steadily painting everything with a murky rumble. Unfortunately, there’s no real track that stands out on Swoon, which is both a blessing and a curse to the sophomore effort from the Silversun Pickups. Listeners will be forced to judge this album based on the whole thing and not just the strength of one song. This may seem a bit off-putting to listeners expecting another “Lazy Eye,” but those who stick with Swoon the whole way through will be more than rewarded by this collection of taut, fuzzed out songs. Final Verdict: 4/5 Song to Download: Panic Switch: The brief, but awesome guitar solo with 2 minutes left is reason enough to listen to this album highlight |
