Silversun Pickups: Tenterhooks - A Review
The Sound of Stagnation
As Silversun Pickups celebrate the 20th anniversary of their debut album, it's hard not to feel a sense of irony. The band's seventh album, Tenterhooks, is a circular journey through the same sounds they've mined for two decades. While their music may not be middle-aged, it does feel like they're stuck in a time loop, repeating the same ideas over and over again.
The band's lack of urgency and their circular nature are evident in the album's production. Butch Vig, who has produced the band's last three albums, wraps their overdriven swirl in comforting clothes, weaving fuzzy riffs and candied electronics into Brian Aubert and Nikki Monninger's sighing vocals. While the production is seamless, it also feels stagnant, as if the band is caught in an endless loop.
The album's shifts in tempo and tone are welcome, but they don't break the monotony. The dream-pop harmonies and distorted guitars may be welcoming to some, but they also reveal how the years are starting to pile up for the band. The album feels like one continuous song, but it's a song that never seems to end, leaving listeners feeling like they're stuck in a time loop.
The Controversy of Repetition
The question remains: is repetition really the problem? Or is it the band's inability to break free from the past? The band's growing professionalism has created a gulf between their underground inspirations and their own output, and their collaboration with Butch Vig has only smoothed out any remaining rough edges. The result is an album that feels like a well-produced, but uninspired, journey through the same sounds.
So, what do you think? Is it the repetition that's the problem, or is it the band's inability to break free from the past? Let us know in the comments below!
