The British summertime can’t come soon enough for Californians Silversun Pickups, one of those bands whose dreamily melancholic drone-rock might well sound melodramatic and mawkish in the winter, but which blossoms like a sprightly sapling come the first rays of sunshine. An obvious comparison here would be with early Smashing Pumpkins, whom the Pickups resemble not just in name and sound but – with their female bassplayer – physical appearance too. That’s no bad thing, but happily hipster faves-in-the-making such as ‘Lazy Eye’, ‘Well Thought Out Twinkles’ and epic closer ‘Common Reactor’ have enough charm to stand out in their own right. With a few festival dates under the band’s belts, ‘Carnavas’ could just become the offbeat feelgood hit of the summer.
Dan Silver