Silversun Pickups 'Carnavas' (Sire) Released 28/05/07

Arriving in the UK amidst a blaze of hype generated by blogosphere and hipster plaudits Stateside, Los Angeles four-piece Silversun Pickups' debut album carries a weight of expectation before it's even out of the box.  It's obvious within seconds of opener 'Melatonin' that the oft-mentioned Smashing Pumpkins comparisons have not been overplayed: the opening few bars seem to have been separated from 'Tonight, Tonight' at birth, and even after the resemblance has faded the fuzzy, overdriven guitars and urgent chorus keep them firmly in mind.  For second track 'Well Thought Out Twinkles' they step up several gears and sidestep into more grungy territory, underpinned by driving drums and driven forward by a QOTSA-esque riff.

Settling back down into more contemplative mood, 'Little Lover's So Polite' shows frontman Brian Aubert's voice at its most androgynous.  This, along with the band's occasionally shoegazey tendencies brings Mew to mind, but the song is pulled back by a grungy solo before it can spiral too far into the ether.

'Future Foe Scenarios' and 'Waste It On' are both fairly unremarkable; raucous without being engaging.  Fortunately, the most immediate stand-out track 'Lazy Eye' follows.  Right up at the guitar-pop end of their range, the song ticks along on a disarmingly simple riff before exploding into a caustic climax after three minutes.  A highlight though it is, it is symptomatic of the album's lack of focus that the song is allowed to drift on for a further three directionless minutes: self-editing does not appear to be among Silversun Pickups' many strengths.

'Dream at Tempo 119' is another high point, rollicking along where other tracks meander, its chorus dominated by a catchy fuzz-guitar riff.  'Three Seed' is another plodder, but album closer 'Common Reactor' provides the album's strongest melody, complemented but not buried by the layered guitars and keyboards

On first listen only a couple of tracks on ‘Carnavas’ stand out, but with time it becomes easier to penetrate the wall of sound and appreciate the deft touches and hidden melodies that permeate even the weaker tracks, and to dispel the suspicion that instrumental complexity is papering over songwriting cracks. The fatal flaw, however, is a lack of focus: six tracks over five minutes long make it all too easy for attention to drift. ‘Carnavas’ is an extremely promising debut album - a more concise, focused follow-up record with this blueprint would make Silversun Pickups a real force to be reckoned with.  It would be unwise to bet against them.