Silversun Pickups
Neck Of The Woods

I must admit right away that I don't know the Silversun Pickups: I have never had the curiosity or desire to listen to them until now, but while browsing the internet, I noticed that they have a solid fan base and that their albums always boast somewhat of a frenzied anticipation from pretty much everyone. So, I, seeing the opportunity to listen to "Neck of the Woods," decided to give this band a chance.

The Silversun Pickups come from sunny Los Angeles, yet listening to their new album I would never have guessed—I would have bet they hailed from some foggy and rustic area of Alabama, Tennessee, or Kentucky, since there isn't a single song on the entire album that makes me imagine being sprawled out on a beach lounger sipping a Long Island while listening to my iPod with my nice headphones. Rather, I imagine myself in some place reminiscent of Brokeback Mountain, just less sunny and more cloudy.

Come on, listen to songs like "Skin Graph," "Mean Spirits," and "The Pit" and try to contradict me: you'll find yourself dead wrong. Despite the lack of 'brightness,' "Neck of the Woods" is also a good album in the end; songs like "Dots And Dashes (Enough Already)" and "Out of Breath," with their catchiness, will manage to win over a wide range of listeners, and I'm not just talking about genre fans. Although, truth be told, in the Silversun Pickups' forest there are also a few thorny plants, such as the rather unremarkable "Gun-Shy Sunshine" or "Simmer."

Flaws aside, "Neck of the Woods" is undoubtedly an album worth listening to, a perfect doormat in front of the indie rock door.

SCORE: 7 (out of 10)