Silversun Pickups
There is a lot to be said for a band that finds its sound, enjoys some serious success with it, and then continues to forge new, unique ideas far beyond the sound that made them their bones. At this point it’s safe to say that the California-bred alt-rockers Silversun Pickups are proper stalwarts of the genre. The group — which was founded in 2005 and helped put the current hippest neighborhood in LA’s rock scene, Silver Lake, on the map shortly thereafter — has now outlasted many of its peers. But more importantly, Silversun Pickups have continued to make music that pushes the envelope of what’s expected out of them, somehow without alienating its fans, and on its own terms — funding its most recent album, Better Nature, with a Pledgemusic campaign.
With the release of the band’s fourth full length, Silversun Pickups appears in more adventurous form than ever. The record is rife with interesting atmospheric touches, deep textural flourishes, and production concepts that shake the expected for alternative rock bands these days, thanks in no small part to the efforts of renowned producer, Jacknife Lee. However, at its core remain the bones of energetic, moody rock ‘n’ roll that hasn’t mellowed too much with age nor gone too far into the depths of experimentation to ruin the energy that we love about this band. Perhaps you’ve lost touch with these former favorites since the late aughts? We implore you to check out the brooding, buffet of distortion that is “Nightlight” off of Better Nature for proof of the band’s continued growth and rock prowess. The track might be compared to what could happen if My Bloody Valentine was interested in making you dance into a sweat rather than melt and sway, replete with a chorus that’ll stick in your head for weeks, and enough sonic layering to keep even your snobby shoegaze fan friends interested. The song serves as a reminder that true rock ‘n’ roll can still have serious hooks without sacrificing its brashness or art-rock sensibilities, and it makes us long for the indie and alt-rock of the mid-aughts that we didn’t even know we missed.
SOLD OUT! Silversun Pickups will be bringing its high energy live show back to South Florida’s intimate Culture Room on January 8th with local indie-rock favorites, Sweet Bronco. The doors for this show open at 7:30. The Culture Room is located at 3045 Federal Highway in Fort Lauderdale.
~ Von Bader
