Review Summary: Losing a tug-of-war to undertow
To be
on tenterhooks refers to being in a state of suspense, agitation, or constant uncertainty. Silversun Pickups’ seventh full-length album of the same name seemingly embodies those traits willingly: it’s skittish, frenetic, and unable to settle. It’s also undeniably cinematic in its progression – alternating between brooding passages and rapid melodic swells. Yet, whereas
cinematic implies a certain level of atmospheric glaze,
Tenterhooks feels distinctly
earthy from a production standpoint – once again courtesy of Butch Vig, who has been with SSPU since 2019’s
Widow’s Weeds.
Tenterhooks by all means should be all over the damn place, but even amid its constantly shifting dynamics, it feels surprisingly unified.
It'd be tempting to call
Tenterhooks a cousin album to
Widow’s Weeds. It shares a lot of similar traits, despite the highs not being quite so high and there being a notable absence of lows. For the most part, the record seems to exist in creative stasis – there’s precious little here that qualifies as breaking new ground for a band that’s been at it since 2005. Despite that, it’s also fair to say that Silversun Pickups have been succeeding for decades despite a lack of innovation, and for proof you’d need to look no further than this album’s shimmering, mysterious predecessor
Physical Thrills. While
Tenterhooks technically adds the band’s first horn presence on the ironically titled ‘Running Out of Sounds’, this is very much SSPU by numbers.
And that’s not always such a bad thing. ‘Au Revoir Reservoir’ is as sweeping and lush a song as this band has made, while ‘Interrobang’ navigates some impressive electric guitar work and ‘Thorns and All’ possesses a quiet swagger that will lurk in your mind for hours. None of it is a declaration of independence from the Smashing Pumpkins-esque alt-rock that this band has always espoused, but it’s nevertheless both immediately satisfying and intriguing enough to beckon additional spins. Even though singles ‘New Wave’ and ‘The Wreckage’ both feel like they’ve been heard before in some way, shape, or form in SSPU’s vast catalog, they still come off as genuinely enjoyable within
Tenterhooks’ broader context rather than the
Chat, make a SSPU song sensation that they somewhat narrowly avoid.
Long time fans of this band will have no problem enjoying
Tenterhooks because it is, in essence, a median representation of all things Silversun Pickups. It won’t take their discography to new heights, and it won’t do anything to damage their reputation as one of the most consistent acts in rock. The album floats in a state of slight tension, occasionally unraveling only to gradually rebuild the tension. There are no huge releases, no massive payloads – and maybe that’s the most disappointing facet of the record. While few expect them to drop another ‘Panic Switch’,
Neck of the Woods had the hair-raising guitar gushes of ‘Skin Graph’,
Better Nature had the lustrous electronic concoction that was ‘The Wild Kind’,
Widow’s Weeds had the swelling strings of ‘Straw Man’, and
Physical Thrills had the urgent, dynamically uplifting ‘Empty Nest’. I’m not sure what
Tenterhooks has, exactly. I suppose it has subtlety and nuance in spades, which is of course a good thing in the right setting. Yet, for as much as I look forward to having this grow on me, it’s immediately apparent that something is missing. I’m intrigued but not enamored. Twenty-one years in, it’s certainly understandable how it’d be challenging to continually create that spark. In the meanwhile,
Tenterhooks’ embers will keep fans warm.
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