Ain’t no doubt about it, we’ve exhausted almost every era available to us with regards to music revivals. But no, wait a minute… early 90s alt. rock. Hmmm, now there’s a thought. I know what you’re thinking: “The 90s wasn’t long enough ago for there to be a revival”, I hear the youth-clingers in the crowd screaming. Well, think again naysayers – Silversun Pickups have managed to skilfully isolate the sound of the 90’s most popular band just as it’s beginning to dawn on everyone how inanely boring it’s getting listening to nerds playing with their synthesisers.
Silversun Pickups’ 2006 debut, Carnavas, generated more comparisons to Smashing Pumpkins than Sarah Jessica Parker did to a horse. They even have the stereotypical 90s alt-rock formation down to a tee (girl bassist included). Unfortunately for us, the band seem to have bought into their largely unfounded hype and failed to realise that you cannot just take a mediocre three-minute song, stretch it to six minutes and, hey presto, instant atmospheric. The majority of songs on this 10-track album would be plausible as decent rock songs but are simply not strong enough to carry the extra few minutes that have been forced upon them.
Album opener There’s No Secrets This Year begins on a fairly credible note with pleasantly distorted drums that have the possibility to go directions other than the route that they finally take towards Brian Aubert’s forcibly androgynous vocals. To be honest, Aubert’s irritating nasal noise is enough to spoil an album that is not without its finer moments at times. Songs such as Growing Old is Getting Old and Sort Of show promise, with the latter’s heavy bassline and agile drumming being a testament to the musicians.
