Silversun Pickups - Pikul EP

Silversun Pickups wear their influences on their sleeves, sounding as if they've been hermetically sealed in a bubble since the Smashing Pumpkins released Siamese Dream. The LA based quartet may never reach such lofty heights, but there are certainly some nice moments along the way. Singer Brian Aubert's voice undulating from fawn-eyed, child-like wonderment to razor sharp caterwauling on opener Kissing Families is particularly gratifying. The dirty guitar hook on Comeback Kid, initially seeming to jar with the turbo-charged pace of the song, but ending up fitting like a well-oiled piston, is equally good. Occasionally, perfectly decent songs are needlessly stretched beyond a comfortable running time, wandering aimlessly and never reaching a satisfying conclusion. Though given this seven-track EP was originally released in America three years ago, and a recent tour supporting Foo Fighters seemed to showcase some better, tighter material, Pikul could well be a warm up before a more satisfying long-player. [Darren Carle]