Dangerbird Records
2005
Pikul EP
About This Album
While nowhere near as immediate as their 2006 grunge-pop opus Carnavas, this EP from 2005, enigmatically named for and dedicated to a friend of the band's (and pronounced "pie-kull"), shows Silversun Pickups developing their Smashing Pumpkins worship into a formula all their own. The difference is in the subtlety and restraint of their arrangements; whereas Billy Corgan has trademarked his whisper-to-a-scream dynamics, the Pickups keep the buildups fluid and the crescendos controlled. Oftentimes the listener may find themselves wishing for more explosive release, but things are kept discreet here; after all, it's easier to effectively follow the quiet-loud-quiet tactics of the Pixies or Nirvana, much more tricky to keep things understated yet filled with tension. Only on the leadoff track "Kissing Families" does lead singer/guitarist Brian Aubert seethe with barely contained rage, "Everything is connected and beautiful, and now I know just where I stand," a realization that doesn't seem to please him. Or on "The Fuzz" where the guitars build to a multi-tracked yet muted climax we still aren't given the payoff we might have expected.
Track List (try tracks 1,3,4 and 6)

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