Silversun Pickups - Neck of the Woods

Los Angeles, California's own Silversun Pickups have released their brand new studio effort titled Neck Of The Woods. The follow up to 2009's Swoon finds the alt-rockers continuing to evolve their sound, while still retaining that distinct aura about them that put them on the map back in 2006 with their debut release, Carnavas.

The disc opens up with "Skin Graph", a calm, ethereal tune that quickly builds up steam as it goes along, with the superb vocal work of frontman Brian Aubert, pairing with bassist Nikki Monninger on backup vocals creates a dual vocal harmony that is the trademark of the band and is their most identifiable characteristic. The album's amazing first single "Bloody Mary (Nerve Endings)" is also my favorite song off the album, a melodic, intricate blast that features pulsating guitar riffs and Brian and Nikki's amazing vocals lifting the song higher and higher into the stratosphere and will definitely grow on you after repeated listens. "Busy Bees" has an intricate drum beat that moves along well with the tempo of the song and slows down the overall pace to add a little more diversity to an already solid album heard so far. "Here We Are (Chancer)" sees the band continuing to slow down the intensity a little bit and show off the group's ability to handle compositions in varying degrees of tempo. "Mean Spirits" picks back up the intensity a bit and returns the band to a fast paced, distortion filled collage that is a solid tune and a overall enjoyable listen.

We segue way into the disc's latter half with "The Pit", an edgy, distortion filled track that exemplifies the band's craft and how meticulous of an approach they take on each and every song they make. The album starts to draw to a close on "Gun-Shy Sunshine" a downtempo, intricate tune that shows the group's remarkable depth and their ability to weave fierce melodies and advanced guitar licks that are two of the main components of the group's success right up until this point. The disc ultimately draws to a close on "Out of Breath" an eerie, frenetic tune that best encapsulates the group's sound to a T and the level of intensity that they bring on each and every song they create. When I first heard them back in 2007 with their song "Lazy Eye", I was thoroughly impressed with what the group brought to the table with such an intricate, experimental tune that was unlike anything I've ever heard before and I was convinced that I would be hearing more from the group in the near future. And lo and behold I did, with their sophomore effort Swoon which contains my favorite Silversun Pickups song, "Substitution" and I was immediately sold on the band from there and was convinced that they would be a mainstay on the music scene for years to come.

Overall, a great third effort here from Silversun Pickups, who are continuing to build up their cred as one of alternative rock's best bands and continue to evolve and move in a different direction on each and every album they make, something that other groups these days are a bit hesitant to do.

                                                                                                                          Album Score: 4/5

Track Listing:

1. Skin Graph
2. Make Believe
3. Bloody Mary (Nerve Endings)
4. Busy Bees
5. Here We Are (Chancer)
6. Mean Spirits
7. Simmer
8. The Pit
9. Dots and Dashes (Enough Already)
10. Gun-Shy Sunshine
11. Out of Breath