Savages’ smart reorganization and shuffling of punk, post-punk, krautrock, and noise music into something brutal, jarringly confrontational, and completely singular is a breath of fresh air and an unignorable statement of power and resistance.
Silence Yourself may not invent a genre. Silence Yourself may not give you something you didn’t have already. But it is so stark, so bold and delivered with such utter belief that you wonder why anyone would possibly care.
While they make no claims to be a wildly original band--they listen to Black Sabbath and they have been described as the all-female Joy Division--what makes them so compelling is their fierce focus.
Looks like some girls were about to record a no wave album in the late 70s but they felt in a hole during a trip in Antarctica, and wereLooks like some girls were about to record a no wave album in the late 70s but they felt in a hole during a trip in Antarctica, and were frozen until 2012 when they were found and, learning the newest stuff, they made some modifications and finally record their album, That's Savages, or not... Post-punk revival roots Joy Division 4 LIFE and other post-punk stuff from the end of the 70s, or whatever. Amazing album, top 3 of the 2013, no doubts…Collapse
If you like the rock and roll music, this is your jam. Best album of 2013 so far. Just play "She Will." If that does not move you, go get yourIf you like the rock and roll music, this is your jam. Best album of 2013 so far. Just play "She Will." If that does not move you, go get your hearing checked, old man.…Expand
I love this album because I like that fact that this band have a unique alternative post punk style, the are cut from a different cloth,AI love this album because I like that fact that this band have a unique alternative post punk style, the are cut from a different cloth,A pitch black cloth in fact, as what they always dress in for their live shows, and their songs to me are unlike any other band around, Live they are Incredible!!, seen them twice live, Strange and beautiful girls, who are masters of Music that make you feel like you need to do something new and different, urgently. Positive vibes.Favorite track is 'City's full', but with so many highlights in this Album, my best highlight of this album is the Bass-line into into the song 'Husbands'.…Expand
Oh che bello il post-punk. Che bello fu davvero, e le quattro ragazze a nome Savages non fanno nulla per nascondere quale sia la loro fonte diOh che bello il post-punk. Che bello fu davvero, e le quattro ragazze a nome Savages non fanno nulla per nascondere quale sia la loro fonte di ispirazione. Già lo annuncia la copertina in bianco e nero, banda bianca a sinistra e foto in primo piano del gruppo con i soli volti a emergere sul buio fondale. La musica non da meno, grazie alle notevoli linee di basso di Ayse Hassan (non un caso che sia il primo strumento a farsi sentire) che si snodano su di un suono nervoso e violento che riporta dritto dritto al 1979 o giù di lì: le ritmiche sono all’offensiva (alla batteria Fay Milton), le chitarre (Gemma Thompson) graffiano a fondo e d’ogni tanto si lasciano andare a distorsioni distrurbanti, la voce (Jehnny Beth, unica francese in compagnia di tre londinesi) rievoca Siouxsie ma con un’arrabbiatura alla Patti Smith. I quaranta minuti di durata (di più sarebbe stato troppo) non lasciano riprendere fiato perché tra gli assalti all’arma bianca si intrufolano pochi brani meno veloci, ma che alla fine si rivelano ancor più inquietanti e meno facili all’ascolto: ‘Strife’ ‘Waiting for a sign’ iniziano cupamente rallentate e si concludono in un fragoroso rumore di chitarra mentre un sassofono che fa tanto no-wave suggella la chiusura, in avvio semiacustica tra pianoforte e spazzole, di ‘Marshall dear’. Per il resto, l’apertura di ‘Shut up’ (introdotta da un frammento di un film di Cassavetes, ‘Opening night’) annuncia l’atmosfera del disco, secca e brutale, con la voce urlata della cantante e l’incalzare poderoso degli strumenti: ricetta ripetuta più volte riuscendo però a introdurre sempre piccole variazioni che allontanano qualsiasi sensazione di noia o ripetitività. Se per ‘City’s full’ si può prevedere un discreto futuro da inno seppur sotterraneo il ritornello martellante ma più accessibile sembra costruito apposta ‘I’m here’ e ‘No face’, per non parlare dell’isterico frammento di ‘Hit me’, mettono in mostra il lato più diretto che porta le sei corde a lambire qua e là i territori metallici di ambito thrash. Solo una piccola deviazione, peraltro, dall’impostazione principale, confermata anche dal breve strumentale ‘Dead nature’, che si muove poco rassicurante fra suoni cavernosi, ma solo in qualche momento troppo aderente al modello; laddove la derivazione forse più evidente sta nel riff epicheggiante che contraddistingue il singolo ‘She will’, così vicino a ‘Love will tear us apart’ anche se poi il brano va a parare da un’altra parte. Va però detto che il tipo di suono a cui si affidano le Savages non che vada granchè di moda al giorno d’oggi: una musica senza fronzoli con testi senza fronzoli e titoli altrettanto (i ritornelli ossessivi come in ‘Husbands’, i primi due brani che si intitolano ‘Shut up’ e ‘I’m here’ e leggerli di fila fa un certo effetto), che trasmettono una grande energia capace, con le buone o con le cattive, di catturare l’attenzione. ‘Silence yourself’ si rivela così un lavoro di debutto davvero notevole e le sue atrici un gruppo assai interessante per il futuro, a patto che abbandonino, almeno in parte, l’aria seriosa mettendoci un po’ di senso dell’umorismo.…Expand
After much anticipation, buzz and intense live shows Savages finally release their debut album ‘Silence Yourself’ and it’s great. There areAfter much anticipation, buzz and intense live shows Savages finally release their debut album ‘Silence Yourself’ and it’s great. There are easy comparisons to make like Joy Division; ‘She Will’ borrows the ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’ template and ‘Husbands’ has shades of Patti Smith’s Horses but the production is definitely ‘Boys Don’t Cry’ era Cure. The harder comparisons are not so easy to spot at first but they are there, traces of Public Image Limited, Siouxsie Sioux and even ‘Echo Beach’. Behind the brooding lyrics and solid rhythm section electric guitars cut through the atmosphere of the songs like an axle grinder through sheet metal and the band have managed to project some of the intensity they have been displaying live onto the record. Its clever and fierce post-punk that doesn’t take prisoners and demands the listener’s attention throughout, which is why the trumpet at the close the album is so out of place. It’s the only bit of the record I dislike and I’m not even sure why it’s there but that really is a minor objection on what is a solid debut.…Expand
Savages, a post-punk band from London released their debut album back in May, Silence Yourself, to critical acclaim. Yet, I just can’t getSavages, a post-punk band from London released their debut album back in May, Silence Yourself, to critical acclaim. Yet, I just can’t get into the album as much as others have. I like post-punk bands such as Joy Division who they share a similar sound with, it’s just that amongst all of the passion that I can feel flowing through the music, it fails to really grip me.
However, this is not to say that it is just an average album, because it is not. Track 2 “I am Here” is one of the few songs, that really stand out to me. Starting out with slow distortion, the whaling of a guitar to then be matched by pounding drums and a bass that is walking it’s way through the chaos in the background which is pierced with the vocals, which, admittedly, take some time to get used to because they are so bold. Where the song really shines is towards the end where there are shrill wails of “I am here” over and over and over again and it really leaves a mark.
Amongst the mix of things, “Dead Nature” is a song that is what it is. It is a two minute interlude of sorts, that feels dead, but I really like it because I feel that it ties both parts of the album together well, and breaks it up, giving us space to breath. It then moves on to the brilliant “She Will” whose brilliance is matched with “Husbands” towards the end of the album.
Silence Yourself is a good album, and you should listen to it if you like Joy Division or Siouxsie and the Banshees. The album can be compelling at times, but others it just falls flat. Yes, it is perfectably listenable but it lacks a certain excitement throughout the album which other albums this year have. There are strong moment in the album, I just don’t like the unbalance.…Expand
Silence Yourself is a loud, angry, restless album that does keep itself horrendously short of more subtle, relieving sound, but it is on theSilence Yourself is a loud, angry, restless album that does keep itself horrendously short of more subtle, relieving sound, but it is on the other hand an immensely enjoyable album when you're in the right mood for it. The Savages take hold of their influences, and smash them into a rearing collection of songs with a clear similarity but also with fresh, exciting intentions of their own.…Expand
Throughout the coming weeks, we'll be collecting year-end top 10 album lists from dozens of music critics, publications, record stores, and other sources. Find individual lists and this year's cumulative rankings inside.
Published: December 17, 2013We take a look at the year's 15 best-reviewed debut albums, including LPs from Run the Jewels, Savages, CHVRCHES, Disclosure, Ariana Grande, and more.
Published: December 4, 2013Throughout the coming weeks, we'll be collecting year-end top 10 album lists from dozens of music critics, publications, record stores, and other sources. Find individual lists and this year's cumulative rankings inside.