MOURNING SONGBIRDS WITH NEON WOUNDS — SILVERSUN PICKUPS IN WIDOW’S WEEDS (2019)
There appears to be a possibly psychic connection between Silversun Pickups dimension and my brain, no kidding. Somehow, their music always finds a way into my life at exactly the right time. Not only is the timing always perfect, but due to the poetry of the lyrics, the songs always seem to resonate on a deeper level and seem to shift and adjust to your current situation. Let it be just one verse or one line, it always has the potential to revolutionize an aspect or two of your reality. Pure excellence, this shoegaze metaphysics.
It’s been nearly four years since the last Silversun Pickups album, Better Nature, was released. Finally, fresh from the oven, the band’s fifth LP is playing in our headphones. While contemplating the unusual title of the record, Widow’s Weeds (which are essentially mourning clothes), one cannot help but wonder if the story behind it is a sad one. Indeed, Brian Aubert, the lead singer of the band, confirmed that the album does have a mourning vibe to it and while it was born out of a darker time in his life, it primarily revolves around the notions of change and letting go.
Follow me, we’ll all take flight, shadowing who’s left behind, as we watch the sunrise creeping in…
The album contains 10 songs varying in intensity and substance, however, the entirety of the record maintains the distinctive, yet familiar Silversun Pickups sound and style. After playing the album on repeat the whole day (I’m not even an inch closer to being fed up with it), four songs have already solidified their status of my personal favorites. “Neon Wounds”, the very first song on the album, is an upbeat battle cry. We’re afraid of the dark / But we’re in love with the night / And that’s who we are, who we are / I’m not afraid of the world / With the weight of a pearl / There’s nothing we can learn while it burns. (…) There are so many wolves, so many traps / That try to make this moment crash / But then I see you, standing there right on cue / Blinded by a neon wound.
“Freakazoid”, a slower pondering about the meaning of madness, is an attempt to make sense of confusion. If I’m such a freakazoid / Unable to breathe / Do we move along? / Or wait and see. (…) Can I pull you home/ Away from the middle of the road? / Another safety zone / Another way to know / And this freakazoid (…) needs a little relief. “Straw Man”, the shortest song on the album, is a beautifully complicated ballad with a twist about coming to live, figuratively and literally. Listen, something’s beating, and oh my stars it’s true. Ok, I need to pause for a moment… how moving is that single simple line, guys? …Right? Less really is more.
And then “Songbirds”, a rather tense and just a little too inquisitive narrative that makes you wonder if there is some hidden agenda beneath the poetry this time. These mood swings are such pretty things (…) When you sing, there’s no misery / You better check your tone, they’re only lullabies (…) I’ll walk alone, I’ll grow only on my own / So far below, we know all there is to know / Are you okay? Are you okay now? The suspense makes this song very interesting.
There you have it, Widow’s Weeds and my take on it. There’s obviously much more to discover on this incredible album than only my favorite bits so go on, have at it Freakazoids. Open the window, let the Silversun Songbirds in, and stretch your mind’s wings to find your own meaning in this music. For it’s beautiful, this shoegaze metaphysics.
