Silversun Pickups Better Nature

LA’s Silversun Pickups hit pay dirt with 2006 debut Carnavas, thanks to a lofty combination of sugary shoegaze and cathartic noise-rock, but on the next two albums, the band struggled to preserve its unselfconscious weirdness. The Pickups recapture some of their early magic, however, on fourth album Better Nature, thanks to a combination of polished Jacknife Lee production and a looser, denser approach to arrangements. Sleek keyboard space dust and fuzzy guitars collide on the ominous standout “Cradle (Better Nature),” while the soaring choruses of “Connection” boast a racing tempo and a bustling synth core. Fans of Muse, meanwhile, will dig the robo-funk of “Pins and Needles” and snarling distorto-rock of “Nightlight.” Better Nature’s more delicate moments work, too: On “Friendly Fires,” vocalist Brian Aubert stretches his range to channel a torchy soul singer, while “Latchkey Kids” is a wistful synth-pop pop gem that could have been in an ’80s teen movie. The album’s more sprawling noise and electro freakouts, which are clustered near its end, aren’t quite as compelling, but it’s a minor quibble. Better Nature is a welcome return to form.