Something about the tangible tension in Silversun Pickups frontman
Brian Aubert’s voice makes you believe him. As he howls and moans lines
like “So we are all growing old and it’s getting old” and “How many
times do you wanna die?/How many ways do you wanna die?,” you find
yourself drawn in and experience that emotion with him. The rest of the
band does its part too. Silversun’s layered soundscapes swirl you
around and build up to urgent climaxes. While the Los Angeles
foursome’s debut album, Carnavas, and 2005’s Pikul EP
were deeply skillful and notably impressive, Swoon, its second
full-length, ups the ante. “The Royal We,” the album’s epic standout,
surges with reverb-heavy guitars and driving beats, propelled by
Aubert’s distinctive wail. “Panic Switch” is filled with static, rising
and falling to create an anxious mood, and offering a clear hook in its
driving chorus. The strings-augmented “Catch and Release” is emotive
and sincere, taking the album to a slower, more introspective place
than some of Swoon‘s more immediate numbers. It’s an album you
want to listen to again and again, not just because it’s good, but
because it feels like you have to in order to hear every nuance.
— Emily Zemler
This article appears in Apr 22-28, 2009.
