Right from the off, it’s clear that Savages more than live
up to their name. The all-female British
post-punk band have already impressed at numerous festivals over the last year
and they continue to do so on ‘Silence Yourself’, their debut LP. This is the most raw, urgent and visceral
record to be released so far this year, filled with guitars that roar with otherworldly
power, angular vocal melodies and crashing drums, all underpinned by heavy,
richly thrumming bass guitar. Fierce,
primal and almost violent, it’s easy to become swept up by the sheer force of
their music.
Over the course of ‘Silence Yourself’ there’s barely any let-up. It’s not until Waiting For A Sign that the pace drops, followed by experimental instrumental
Dead Nature that’s as ominous as it
is threatening. The morbid Marshal Dear closes the album, including
(of all things) a bass clarinet solo that adds a sense of Parisian artistry perhaps
stemming from French frontwoman Jehnny Beth (real name Camille Berthomier). These tracks aside, the album feels a little
one-dimensional and lacks dynamic range, but as it hurtles towards its end you’ll
barely notice.
What’s most important, however, is what the band stand for:
female empowerment. The title is an
ironic one, immediately negated by the opening track: “did you tell me to shut
up?” questions Beth with a vengeance. Then
there’s the emphatic repetition of “she will” on She Will marking a forceful, irresistible statement. City’s
Full balks at “sissy pretty love”, its middle eight offering a rare tender
moment with “I love the stretch marks on your thighs, I love the wrinkles
around your eyes”. Savages might not
conform to typical notions of sexy (which is somewhat the point), but that’s
not to say they shy away from sexuality.
“I took a beating tonight and that was the best I ever had”, sings Beth
on Hit Me, before repeating “I’m
ready, I’m ready” in submissive ecstacy, whilst her screeching of “husbands,
husbands” on Husbands ambiguously
straddles both fury and sexual gratification.
Beth’s vocal has a wildness to it, even in the softer, more lyrical
moments, that suggests a sense of freedom based on primal urges.
As a foil to most vapid, overtly-sexualised female pop seen
in the charts, Savages triumph. The band
have a point to prove and they prove it forcefully. In that respect, they join the likes of PJ
Harvey in the pantheon of empowered British female artists.
3/5
Gizzle's Choice:
* Shut Up
* City's Full
* Husbands
Listen: 'Silence Yourself' is available now.
