BrianJarrett.com

When I find a new band that I like I love to share that knowledge with the rest of the world; or at least with a few close friends. With so many shitty bands around it’s nice when you happen upon a group of people who are interested in making good music that doesn’t necessarily fit into the mold of what is currently the big money maker (rap, emo).

Silversun Pickups really didn’t impress me at first listen. Well, maybe they did, but I didn’t want to admit it. When I first heard their single, “Lazy Eye”, I thought it sounded a lot like Smashing Pumpkins. I said, ‘we’ve already had one Smashing Pumpkins so what’s the point? I’ll just listen to the original’. I dismissed them pretty quickly but then heard them again and then another time. The third time around I couldn’t deny that “Lazy Eye” now had my interest piqued, so I went out to the “Interweb” using my favorite peer to peer software and downloaded the album. I listened to it, loved it, and went out and bought the album that night. (Yes, I do download music but if I like the band then I go buy the album. I use downloaded music as a way to preview an album I’m not sure about.)

If Smashing Pumpkins and Sonic Youth had a baby it would be Silversun Pickups. At times they sound very similar to each of these bands but there’s something unique in the melodies that sets them apart. I find the melodies to be the most attractive thing about this album; there’s really not a misstep anywhere. The guitars are fuzzy when distorted and they’re full of reverb and delay in the big, swirling, spacey sections of their songs. I love that kind of sound.

This is a refreshing album and it stands out from the crowd. I definitely recommend it. You can check out their website and listen to some clips from the album there if you’re unsure. I hope you check it out and, even more importantly, I hope you like it.