The Down Lizzo:
Silversun Pickups carved out an interesting sound with their first two albums that hovers somewhere between 90s alt rock and 00’s noise pop.
The result was some pretty intriguing, broody material that, for all it’s shoegazing tendencies, also delivered a solid, satisfying punch to the gut when it needed to.
Not so much on the band’s third album, Neck Of The Woods, which features all the epic build-ups and breakdowns this band is known for, but very little of the gutspa that made their previous two albums awesome.
In a sentence, it’s an album of stadium-sized ambitions crippled by chronic stage-fright.
Sick Tracks:
Having said that, there is still enough solid material on this album to warrant a listen, just don’t come with the expectation their first two albums created and you’ll probably find a few gems if you scratch around a little.
The warm guitar tone and frantic riff on “Mean Spirits†grabbed me from the get-go as did the way they tear the ass out of the chorous.
I also appreciated the fact that they save one of the best tracks for last – “Out Of Breath†builds slowly to a machine-gun stuttering drum beat in the chorous before wandering off and losing focus somewhat.
“Here We Are (Chancer)†is a nice change of pace and might be the only song on the album they give some space to breathe.
Should You Give A Shit:
I really don’t know how to answer this question, which I guess is a kind of answer in itself.
With most songs clocking in at the 5 minute mark, a lot of the songs are drawn out way longer than they should be.
Add the mid-tempo pace of 70% of the material on this album and the result is an album that limps along, getting lost in an introspective, other-thought structural muddle of competing melodies.
It’s all snarl and no teeth, sadly.
Here’s “Mean Spirits†so you guys can decide for yourselves:
Final verdict: 6/10
-ST
