by John McCurdy
Long have I searched for a term that encompasses all of my taste in music. For a while, I went with the ambiguous adjective “scary,” claiming that I need sound that “frightens me” with how strongly it makes me feel a certain emotion.
But I’ve got a much better description after listening to Silversun Pickups’ second full-length release, Swoon: As a listener, I want to be physically changed by my tunes.
Thank you, SSP, for helping me to crystallize my thoughts through your epic sophomore effort.
The indie rock group’s first offering, Carnavas, was certainly a favorite of mine and shook me to the core with the excellent “Lazy Eye” and “Future Foe Scenarios.” Still, there were some lulls on that record (“Dream at Tempo 119,” anybody?).
Swoon stands out with its consistently moving tracks. Overall, it has more drive than its predecessor, though it finds time to slow down and get mellow when it needs to.
I’ll admit I’m a total sucker for “The Royal We,” a song in which lead singer/guitarist Brian Aubert lets loose a screamy and sarcastic performance. But with a few run-throughs, I have also come to enjoy immensely the slower, calmer, more reflective “Catch & Release.”
This album is just like that – it’s varied, yet at the same time, more consistently visceral than the band’s earlier work. No, “Substitution” doesn’t pop out, but most everything else does.
To toss out some general terms, this is progressive and driving rock. More to the point, though, would be to say this is human. Nikki Monninger’s basslines seem to emanate right from the base of my skull, while Chris Guanlao’s beats set my extremities into perpetual motion.
This group is artsy yet unpretentious, deep yet accessible, and heartfelt yet not bleeding heart. SSP struck a chord with metal, emo, and alternative fans alike with Carnavas and refine their balance even more with Swoon.
You’ve probably heard the Smashing Pumpkins comparisons ad nauseam at this point, but I’ll just mention that they certainly are appropriate. Of course, when I first heard Aubert, the first thing I thought of wasn’t that he sounded like Billy Corgan.
No, first I was asking myself, “Is that a boy or a girl?”
But next, and more importantly, “How do you get so much beautiful pain into a song?”
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