Carnavas
Dangerbird
2006
Rating: 7 human meatballs out of 10
I randomly purchased the EP “Pikul” that the L.A.-based quartet Silversun Pickups issued last year and was instantly drawn in – any band with swirling guitars like that will always catch my ear. The vocals really stood out as well; I might not have been able to identify the sex of the person singing, but it lent itself perfectly to the driving music of this band. I was hooked.
Fast-forward one year, and the band finally releases their full-length record. It does not disappoint. More of that same sound as before, only somehow bigger in scope (and certainly in amount of material – the record is nearly an hour long). Everywhere I read I see the comparisons to My Bloody Valentine and Smashing Pumpkins – know that Silversun Pickups sound absolutely nothing like either of these bands, but I can see where the comparisons come from. I’m pretty sure the tone and thickness of the guitars would be Kevin Shields approved, and there is something about the pace of the songs and the way the drums drive everything that would make Billy Corgan proud.
My only gripe – at times it can feel a touch over-produced. This bothered me at first but after a couple of listens I sorta accepted it as part of the sound of the band and moved on. It does seem as if the guitars could benefit from a little more crunch and/or edge to them in the mix, but that is a very minor squabble. All told, this is definitely a really good record, and recommended.
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