Before work (back when I did work) every morning i would turn on Vh1 to try to catch this strange video about an androgynous-looking girl who is at a show with her hair cut really short so that she could effectively give this lazy emaciated scenester kid enough butch gruff to blow him off. Tantalizing, I know. But the kicker of this amazing piece of music cinematography was that she really liked him (GASP!) and it ends with her running off with him and his gang bang minded friends on their ten speed schwinn bikes.

Have I bitterly inferred a lot into this music video? Sure. But it is hard to come to the harsh realization that not all of us can be frail wispy prepubescent models. Alas, such is life. Yet what I found truly disconcerting was that during the epic love story that took place during this music video its song slowly became ingrained into my subconscious. At work I would find myself murmuring, “The sun, the moon, and the sky-yyyyy” or “I have been waiting… I have been waiting for this moment all my life…” Unsure if those were even the right lyrics I made it a point to find and lawfully download this song from one of those pay-per-tune services that you can find on the internets.

The song was “Lazy Eye” from Silversun Pickups’ 2006 album Carnavas. I was intrigued at first by the enjoyable ‘old but new’ sound they produced but, like every designer jean that professes ‘Worn and tattered look and only somewhat ridiculously overpriced,’ I was a bit skeptical about buying the cow when the milk is so obviously… thrift store jeans? Confused metaphors aside, I gave their album a listen and was impressed for not expecting much.

At first, Brian Aubert’s vocals annoyed me. He was like a poor man’s Billy Corgan, with forced sounding melodies and a strained vocal range. But then it dawned on me that that’s probably a compliment, with what the megalomaniac monster that Corgan has become. Aubert plays to his skills with songs like, “Future Foe Scenario,” which shows his versatility as well as raw emotion coming through. “Well Thought out Twinkles,” though wussier named, has plenty of spark to get your feet tapping and your head bobbing.

Musically, they are a more than competent band. “Dream at Tempo 119″ is wonderfully crafted and really demonstrates the skills of the band mates. During the song “Three Seed,” Silversun Pickups successfully sent me on a nostalgic induced trip and I found myself worrying about AP Testing and making sure I had enough extra curricular activities so that the National Honors Society wouldn’t kick me out. …What? I was a smart kid in high school. When you write music reviews, it will be your turn to brag.

Carnavas is a well-executed sophomore release (the first being the Pikul EP). Silversun Pickups play to their strengths and the results are number of really fun catchy songs. There are even a few moody alternative grunge sounding power ballads like “Checkered Floor.” Is Silversun Pickup’s Carnavas worth a listen? Absolutely. Will it be the album that changed your life? Not likely. But sometimes albums like these are great arsenal to add to the motion soundtrack that is your life.

Original Release Date: July 26th, 2006
Label: Dangerbird Records
Rating: 7/10

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