Silversun Pickups Swoon

Yesterday, I was just letting my Media Player play through my recently added Library of Music and I came upon a CD that really grabbed my attention. I'm talking about the Silversun Pickups second full length LP Swoon. This CD released in April of 2009 is a more mature effort from a band that does at times sound very much like the Smashing Pumpkins.

Compared to their 2006 release Carnavas the music seemed to be much darker and fuller. There were more overtones and the Bass line really drove the beat of the music. The song Panic Switch off of this CD quickly got into heavy rotation on both VH1 and MTV. This song filled with Power Chords and a driving rhythm makes for a solid rock alternative song. I'm not sure that I completely understand the lyrics but it seems to have some sort of a deep, thought provoking meaning with the chorus being as follows:

When you see yourself in a crowded room
Do your fingers itch, are you pistol-whipped?
And will you step in line or release the glitch?
And can you fall asleep with a panic switch?

And when you see yourself in a crowded room
Do your fingers itch, are you pistol-whipped?
Will you step in line or release the glitch?
Do you think she'll sleep with the panic

This song represents one of the fast paced songs on the CD, but this CD does have a little more variety to it than that. There are many songs with your typical late '90s guitar riffs full of single note guitar lines being filled by the bass line. These guys do seem to be different than a lot of bands in this era in that they keep the beat with the Bass guitar instead of the drums set. The drums in fact seem to bring a bit of shine to the music with the drummer popping the High Hats and the Snare more than the lower tone drums.

I like every song on this CD to some extent but I feel that my favorite would have to be a slower song called Growing Old is Getting Old. This song seems to have a feeling of sadness in the fact that no matter what we do time will always pass. There are often times that it would be great to stop time. There does seem to be a bit of nonsense in the lyrics though with lines such as

Pull out the fear of silence
And put out the need for guidance
And put out your own devices
And don't be afraid of the cold

but when put in to the context it makes it have flow. This CD seems to be in your face at times and gentle at others but in general it makes for a very solid CD musically speaking. I will probably wear this CD out but for now it is one of my preferred Cd's.