Review Summary: A brilliant course correction.
There’s no way around it:
Widow’s Weeds was a disappointment. From the band’s perspective, the aim was clear: enlist Butch Vig as producer, swing from
Better Nature’s electronically vibrant pastures back towards the shoegaze-laden grunge rock that launched them to fame in the mid-00s, and then reap the benefits of a satisfied fanbase. Unfortunately, very little of that went according to plan. While
Widow’s Weeds did lean into a crunchier and more tangible alt-rock, it was virtually hookless and also lacked the slick, enveloping atmospheres that listeners came to expect. It had its worthwhile moments, but ultimately it came in well below expectations for a group of musicians that've set the bar pretty damned high for themselves.
Physical Thrills is a brilliant course correction that doesn't rely on reliving the band's glory days. It feels introverted, deliberately slowing the tempo while also taking more time to experiment with songwriting direction and off-the-wall sounds than they have at any other point in their storied seventeen year career. Based on that assessment, you wouldn't expect something with a unified aesthetic or fluid progression between tracks, but
Physical Thrills is beautiful to witness as it unravels. Whether it's engaging in the pastoral or the propulsive, this is an album that feels like one long fever dream – everything is ethereal and interconnected.
Atmospherically, Silversun Pickups' sixth studio album sounds equidistantly located between
Better Nature and
Neck of the Woods. It brings back the glistening lushness of the former, while dabbling in the eerie horror themes of the latter. The result is an undeniably alluring record brimming with mystique. While some truly engaging choruses reside here, there are arguably even more non-vocal hooks – from an increased string/piano presence to a baritone guitar distorted through a talk box. The unpredictable nature of the album is enough to keep listeners on their toes, as Silversun Pickups shift from an automatic impulse to explode towards a propensity to implode, or sometimes to simply allow a gorgeous moment to exist on its own merits.
What we're witnessing on
Physical Thrills is a band maturing and diversifying its palette. For the first time since
Swoon, it feels like they're truly pushing themselves into new territory. The results can be breathtaking or flat out weird – often both – but the experimenting with songwriting, production, instruments, and pace/flow all feel dynamically executed to the point that even when a particular song doesn't feel immediately
memorable, it still shines because there's creative energy simmering beneath the surface. That's something that we definitely didn't get from
Widow's Weeds, so credit must be given to Silversun Pickups for their willingness to go back to the drawing board as well as to Vig for his role in shaping this very unique record.
Physical Thrills' biggest flaw is its lack of a benchmark "hit". There are two or maybe three songs that stand out as having potential mass market appeal (one was already released as a single), but this really isn't
that kind of album. Nothing here will restore Silversun Pickups' standing on the Billboard the way that 'Lazy Eye' or 'Panic Switch' did during their prime. However,
Physical Thrills just might be their most completely rewarding record front-to-end. This is the sort of album that you will want to
experience – perhaps through a pair of high-quality headphones, or maybe while sitting alone at the top of a hill overlooking the city.
Physical Thrills demands your focus and immersion, a clear sign that Silversun Pickups are accessing their artistic side and perhaps better than they ever have before. What felt like a band in decline just a few short years ago has been given a shot in the arm.
s
