Album Review: Silversun Pickups – Better Nature
2 min read
It’s been three years since we last heard some new material from LA alternative rockers Silversun Pickups… Three years too long! But no matter, the group is back with their fourth studio album Better Nature, the follow-up to 2012’s Neck Of The Woods; they have reunited with producer Jacknife Lee (U2, Two Door Cinema Club), so things are bound to heat up. The new album is the first of their records to be released on their own label New Machine Records.
Silversun Pickups are adored for their high energy sound, an element you’ll enjoy on Better Nature right from opening track Cradle (Better Nature). What begins as a ballad morphs into something deeper: Friendly Fires is definitely an album highlight, and lead single Nightlight is electrifyingly dark and addictive. Ragamuffin has a soundscape that is both interesting and captivating, the way the guitars are picked and how the atmosphere is airy yet full is satisfying. Refreshingly, the album ends on a more mellow and uplifting note. The Wild Kind is complete with a positive arrangement and breathy vocals.
Silversun Pickups are as intriguing as they were before: Better Nature draws out the beauty and appeal from the rawness of alternative rock. Ten tracks may seem a little short at first, but all is made up for with most of the album consisting of tracks that go between four-to-seven minutes long, so don’t feel like you’ve been shortchanged. If you’re already a massive fan of the Silversun Pickups, you have nothing to worry about, Better Nature sees the group venture into a new terrain without losing their charm.
