IN REVIEW: Silversun Pickups - "Better Nature"

Since rising through the indie ranks close to a decade ago with their debut Carnavas (and, more to the point, its epic and intense hit Lazy Eye), Silversun Pickups have made it a point to strafe away from comparisons to a certain '90s alt-rock band that also carries the initials S.P. On their last album with Dangerbird Records, the dark and layered Neck of the Woods in 2012, they brought new wave influences on board. While guitars still roared and songs still had a flair for the intense, keyboards were starting to take on a larger role. It seemed that SSPU wanted nothing more than to shake those pesky comparisons aside and be recognized as their own band.

Now that they've started their own label, it's not all that surprising that fourth album Better Nature dives deeper into that electronic sea of sound; put plainly, if you thought Neck of the Woods was a departure from their rock roots, you haven't learned the true meaning of the word departure. Guitars still have a role on the record, but they're more often than not used as complimentary dressing to shimmering new wave melodies and dissonant squalls of electronic noise.

That said, I probably would have enjoyed the album a lot less if the songs weren't up to snuff; in that regard, SSPU have crafted some undeniably catchy tunes. Aside from the obvious singles (as the centerpiece of the record, Nightlight and Circadian Rhythm serve as the most familiar sounding songs here), there are some songs that seem destined for alternative stations' future playlists. Chief among them is Connection, a pulsing pop song with just a little bit of grunting guitar and a sticky chorus. Pins & Needles has a good shot to, and gets most of its kicks from a lazy guitar riff before its chorus explodes with colour. Mention must also be made to Tapedeck, which starts off as the group's most explicitly '80s leaning experiment but methodically rolls itself out as it goes, eventually shifting rhythms completely and charging onward in one of the record's most gratifying moments.

Still, considering the sound of Better Nature bears significantly different DNA from their earlier work, folks who are particularly fond of those first couple records may find the new stuff difficult to get into. Personally, I feel the transition could have gone a lot worse, and I prefer to think of this new chapter for SSPU as a natural, though accelerated, progression.

September 25, 2015 • New Machine/Warner
Highlights Nightlight • Circadian Rhythm • Connection