IN REVIEW: Silversun Pickups - "Physical Thrills"

 

It's not easy being a "replacement band". Let me explain; from time to time, as an artist evolves outside of the box that the masses create for them and follows their muse in a direction that's deemed too far away from their assumed place on the musical spectrum, those fickle minded fans sometimes single out another artist and mentally replaces the former with the latter. In order for this to happen, the newer artist needs to be creating music that's somewhat close in tone or feeling to the music that made the former famous; there aren't a ton of examples of this, but the most notable is probably Muse. Playing sinewy rock that often juxtaposed quiet verses with loud, bombastic choruses at the same time Radiohead was off blowing up whatever box people would dare put them in, Muse became the replacement band for Radiohead for some based solely on the vibes people got from their first few albums.

I could have easily brought up the concept of the replacement band in my forthcoming review for Muse's new record, but I do so here because I feel like Silversun Pickups are an even more applicable example, and one that's had expectations unfairly placed upon them for a long time. That's because, by hitting it big in 2006 with their debut Carnavas, Silversun Pickups became the replacement for Smashing Pumpkins for a lot of listeners. It was the easiest, most comfortable comparison at the beginning, and I'm sure it was taken as a compliment at first; however, as the years and albums came and went, it became clear that they weren't interested in simply banging out the same anthemic alt-rock and living in the shadow of a band that peaked a decade before Silversun Pickups even started.

So at this point in their career, with their sixth album arriving and over fifteen years of distance between the band and their beginning phase, it's clearer than ever that Silversun Pickups have crawled out from under that shadow. Three years after bringing in Butch Vig for Widow's Weeds. a quaint but ultimately forgettable exercise in nostalgia, Vig is backed for an album that sees both band and producer stepping into a decidedly more pop-leaning direction. The guitars are quieter, synths and other effects are a bigger player, and some of the sonic choices feel designed to drag their sound into places somewhere unfamiliar (the three interludes, for example).

Lead single Scared Together is a prime example, its slow tempo and effects-laden main melody giving way to a double time gallop later in the song, creating a head bobber turned driving rocker even as guitars barely register. Alone on a Hill, its follow-up single, is even further removed; Brian Aubert hands the mic to bassist Nikki Moninger for a subdued piano-based ballad that's about as far from Lazy Eye as it gets. Acoustic guitars and subtle gothic tones serve as the backbone of opener Stillness (Way Beyond), while Sticks and Stones uses acoustic guitars and a playful rhythm to create what my aging music-addled brain perceives as the happiest song Deftones ever made. 

Even when the energy and volume do rise, as on Hidden Moon, the off-kilter beat and effects make for some unexpected moments. Then, there are moments like System Error that seem more indebted to Bloc Party than Smashing Pumpkins, its pulsing beat and busy bass giving way to a distorted, melodic chorus. Empty Nest, meanwhile, augments touches of psychedelia into a truly jubilant instrumental, making for the album's most dreamlike moment. We Won't Come Out uses heavy flange, warbling synths and a locked-in groove to create a nocturnal, sinister number that suddenly explodes into a full-blown rock song at the halfway point; it's a short detour to keep listeners on their toes, but it stands out in its simple effectiveness. The album ends in reflective fashion, with Quicksand's slow synths and lightly plucked guitars carrying the record's slowest burn into the final interlude's warped piano. 

Evidently, there's precious little that calls to mind past glories, and even the songs that do are intentionally wrestled away from that classic, muscular sound; Hereafter (Way After) would have been an absolute banger if they'd released it in the aughts, but here it's soaked in acoustic guitar, synth and reverb. Still, it's a shining example of the sort of effortless cool SSPU are capable of. The same can be said of Stay Down (Way Down), which goes a little louder and faster compared to the majority on the album.

So, while it's unfair to expect anything resembling Smashing Pumpkins this far into their career, what I found most shocking about Physical Thrills was just how little this music resembles Silversun Pickups (in the broadest sense, of course). While it's commendable that they've crafted a record that's completely unafraid of exploration, it does smack just a bit of an identity crisis, and all told the record has more good ideas than it does good songs; while it was no doubt intended to push the band's sound forward, Physical Thrills leaves Silversun Pickups nervously scanning signposts at the crossroads, able to go anywhere they want and unsure of which direction is best for them.

August 19, 2022 • New Machine

Highlights Hereafter (Way After) • Scared Together • System Error