Physical Thrills

Bookending a drastic time of change for the band (and the world), Silversun Pickups sixth studio set, Physical Thrills, arrived three years after their prior LP, Widows Weeds. When promotion for that album was halted by a global pandemic, lead vocalist and guitarist Brian Aubert got to work on new music, once again with famed producer Butch Vig in tow. The resulting effort improved upon Weeds with a little more of the bite and urgency that the band is known for, balancing the cinematic scope of 2012s Neck of the Woods (like on "Stillness [Way Beyond]") with the unfettered, band-forward approach of early albums like 2006s Carnavas (they even revisit that albums "Dream at Tempo" interlude with a trio of hazy, melodic siblings). Despite being a "pandemic record," Physical Thrills is not a dour, hardened affair. Instead invigorated, Aubert and the band -- bassist Nikki Monninger, drummer Christopher Guanlao, and keyboardist Joe Lester -- flexed their creative muscles and pushed their personal boundaries, whether that was with Guanlaos Beatles-inspired drum fills, Lesters piano-backed compositions ("We Wont Come Out"), Auberts increased shoegaze fuzz, or Monninger stepping up to the mike. Indeed, that solo showcase -- the dreamy, horn-backed "Alone on a Hill" -- is one of the albums finest moments. For classic Silversun Pickups cuts, the urgent "Hereafter (Way After)" rides a persistent piano riff as Guanlao and Aubert propel the track toward an uncertain horizon, while the bombastic wah-wah effect on "Scared Together" pummels the eardrums as the band whips anxiety and paranoia into a frantic closing storm of riffs and percussion. With its handclaps and harmonies, the airy "Empty Nest" is one of the most pleasant, toe-tapping pop moments of the set, just as "We Wont Come Out" sounds like the band is floating through an ocean inside a bubble, one that gets violently popped by a rabid guitar attack destined to be a live favorite. Finally, as if these aforementioned highlights werent rousing enough, "System Error" is an album standout that tops an elastic bassline with a riotous guitar solo and drum bashing, which all come together at the close in a shiver-inducing key change from Aubert and Monninger. Bouncing back from such a tumultuous few years of unexpected turmoil, Silversun Pickups maintained their momentum and even managed to build upon their usual bag of tricks. Physical Thrills lives up to the title, delivering one of the bands best statements to date. ~ Neil Z. Yeung