Savages - Adore Life

Savages
Adore Life
2016
Spotify

Frantic, emotional, often loud are all ways of describing this latest offering from Savages Adore Life. Dreamed up as a collection of love songs don't expect to hear Jehnny Beth singing about how deep her love is or how much she just wants her boyfriend back. This is the darker side of love, when it gets messy and complicated as it always insatiably does. Post punk, a genre that Savages fit into nicely, is the perfect venue for this kind of rallying cry for honesty and liberal ideals. There is sexual fluidity, lust, destruction and flirting all wrapped up in neat little tracks with some of the most distorted guitar you'll ever hear. Where Savages really are successful is in Beth's delivery. Her voice is always crystal clear with an emphasis on not yelling or going outside of her range. There are so many moments where you would expect her to let loose, but she holds back and allows the words to make the impact rather than her strained vocals. "Adore" is a ballad in a sense, or as close as Savages are willing to get, and is heavy with a deep bass line that is front and center. Don't expect everything on this record to be quickly paced however Savages have no problem slowing things down and allowing a song to unfurl methodically like on the aptly named "Slowing Down the World".

This music really is not to be approached lightly. There is an aggression and a heaviness that you really cannot take for granted or it will just overwhelm you. The simplicity of the production on this record also adds to it's mystique. Savages have often been commended for their live shows and this record seems to capture that same emotion, that same brutal energy. The women of Savages aren't willing to compromise their intensity or their desire for anyone and they will let you know that fact whether you like it or not. I've often written about artist who take themselves to seriously, or are to deep for tehir own good, but that criticism cannot be levied against Savages because it is that fire that makes them who they are and it really comes from a authentic place. The more you listen to this record the more you become connected to it, and the more you find little pieces that just really work. This is an album about love, but not the kind of love they show in the movies, instead it is about that kind of love that has you pulling your hair out, screaming and punching walls. Loving hard, the only way Savages knows how.

7.9 out of 10