Silversun Pickups:

Pikul EP

(Dangerbird)

This Los Angeles Indie rock quartet was born out of the hip Silverlake scene alongside bands like Beachwood Sparks, The Movies, Earlimart, and Pine Marten. Having twice seen them live opening for other bands a few years back, I had difficulty recalling exactly what they sounded like. After listening to their six-song debut EP (seven counting the hidden track), it’s easy to see why. While competent and well produced by Rod Cervera (Weezer, The Rentals) and Earlimart’s Aaron Espinoza, the actual music is pretty forgettable.

Built around groove-oriented bass lines and drum beats, layered with strummy acoustic guitar and classic rock leads, and occasionally accented with minimalist synths or annoying noise, the songs plod along under endless repetition. Imagine Television’s Marquee Moon without the innovative guitar lines. Lead singer Brian Aubert has a cool sounding voice, kind of like a helium-filled Kurt Cobain, but the abstract drug-addled lyrics leave something to be desired.

My main complaint is that they just don’t seem to be trying. A seven-song debut feels slight for a band that’s been around as long as this one, especially considering one of the tracks is a cover of The Movies’ “Creation Lake.” The album’s hidden track is buried after twenty minutes of silence as track number 23. If you’re going to do something that cheeky, why not make it track number 24, so it at least has a conceptual connection to “Creation Lake,” and its lyrics, “There are twenty-four parts in a day that divides me from you.” As it is, the band seems content to be unexciting.

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5 Blips out of 10

By Jason “Fish” Fischer

8/2005