Silversun Pickups - Carnavas

Genre rock Publisher Dangerbird Records External Links Official Silversun Pickups Website Official Dangerbird Records Website

One cold and rainy autumn evening, an aspiring musician and guitar player by the name of Brian Aubert was walking down a Chicago street when he happened upon a beat-up Maxell cassette labeled "Demos" lying on the ground. With his curiosity piqued, Aubert pocketed the tape and continued on his way. Upon returning to Los Angeles he played the tape and was floored by the fuzzed-out layers of guitar bliss and arena-ready riffs despite the rough, lo-fi quality of the recordings. Recognizing this as destiny's calling card, Aubert quickly rounded up some musician friends to flesh out these song sketches and bring them to full, blazing, Technicolor life. The band, christened Silversun Pickups, took to the area stages and quickly built up a rabid fanbase and a buzz that landed them opening slots for bands like Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and Elefant. It wasn't until much later that the sticker peeled off the side of that fateful cassette, revealing another beneath it that read simply, "Billy Corgan, June 1990".

Impossible? Of course. Unbelievable? Definitely, especially when you consider that I just made up that inspirational tale. But one listen to Carnavas, the debut full-length by the aforementioned Pickups, would leave you thinking that maybe, just maybe, such an unlikely back-story really might have happened. I couldn't even begin to count the number of times I was reminded of the Smashing Pumpkins circa Gish while I was spinning this disc. Well, at least maybe the Smashing Pumpkins with a less...ahem..."distinctive" vocalist and a larger propensity towards sing-along pop melodies and groove-worthy beats. But the early Pumpkins vibe is all over this record, especially the larger-than-life wall of guitars and the spacey textures that gave them such a distinct and timeless sound.

The album kicks off with "Melatonin," which immediately brings the guitars to the forefront. Layer upon layer of fuzzed-out guitar brings obvious comparisons to My Bloody Valentine, but the male and female vocals are given much more emphasis and a far more sing-along worthy melody than most of the MBV catalog. Not content to simply be the latest band to bring back the shoegaze sound, the Pickups cut loose on "Well Thought Out Twinkles" and reveal their true intentions - to rock, and rock hard. The song emerges fully formed from the destruction triggered by Aubert's monster riff, but it's Nikki Monninger's stunning bass breakdown that really breathes life into it. From this early highlight on the band spends the rest of the disc building from these two main influence points, mixing the beautiful ambience of layered guitars with the adrenaline-rushed riff rock of the mid-nineties. It isn't an entirely original jump-off point, but not since the days of the criminally underrated Hum has this path been followed with such thrilling results.

Aubert and Monninger have the most obvious direct influence on this album's sound, but the contributions by drummer Christopher Guanlao and keyboardist Joe Lester are not to be underestimated. Guanlao may not be able to replicate the power of precision like Jimmy Chamberlin, but his electronic inspired beats on tracks like "Future Foe Scenario" and "Rusted Wheel" introduce an element that distances the band from its immediate influences. Combining with the layers of guitars, Lester's keyboard work is essential to establishing the overall mood of the album - most notably on the excellent "Dream at Tempo 119," the swirling sound effects adding a distinct space-rock feel. "Lazy Eye," however, is the album's apex and the moment when each member's talents coalesce into a beautiful whole. Borrowing another page from the Pumpkin's playbook, the Pickups begin with a fairly straightforward, sing-along anthem that blasts off into the ether with a distorted, overdriven instrumental section that eventually settles back into a comfortable orbit. The ability to seamlessly integrate such memorable hooks into songs packed with so much instrumental density and excitement is what puts the band head and shoulders above other bands attempting to resurrect alterna-rock.

Some might say that such a resurrection is too soon or flat-out unnecessary, or that the Silversun Pickups are guilty of wearing their influences too prominently on their sleeves; but these people are clearly missing the boat. Although it does reveal a fairly transparent lineage, Carnavas is an outstanding journey of an album that doesn't sound dated or "retro" but fresh and rejuvenating in a time when mainstream rock is in a fairly stagnant state. This is an excellent album by a tremendously talented young band that positively oozes with potential and I have a strong feeling that things are only going to get better from here. And chances are, it's got a pretty good shot at being just as exciting as whatever the Pumpkins 2.0 manage to churn out this year or next.