I was prepared to overlook the shit band name and believe the hype. These chaps are said to have a growing following in the States and have been bothering the upper echelons of various college rock charts. And with influences and comparisons ranging from the Smashing Pumpkins, Sonic Youth and the Queens of the Stone Age, the omens were good. Whatsmore Jools Holland hosted them on his most recent Later… and he is usually right, right?

First airing was a dissapointment, I was immediately knocked out by the influences! They are here in abundance. Some scuzzed up guitars and pulsating rhythm saw me ticking off the Pumpkins and drowning the odd song in feedback was clearly a nod in Sonic Youths direction. That said, I couldn’t quite find the QOTSA reference.

As the last bit of feedback ended the album, I was left flat, was this the best that the Americans had to offer, a regurgitation of the last 15 years of American rock? Was Jools wrong?

Not one to give up too soon, I tried a couple more listens and it has to be said that the album is a bit of a grower. The sound could probably be described as sunny grunge. The lyrics lack the required bite and miserabilsm that the genre was renowned for but when these boys turn up their amps and let the feedback ring their is a certain beauty to the music.

I know this album will probably end up on my MP3 player some time soon, but when they crop up on shuffle the skip button will always be under my thumb…
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Links
Silversun Pickups [official site] [myspace]