John Bemis
Web Producer
@bemiscourant
The very term ‘post-punk revival’ is fairly unreliable in talking about a band like Savages. In their case, it would imply something reminiscent of The Slits, which could never do justice to the shadowy genius of their 2013 album “Silence Yourself”. It was a bleak yet electric gut-punch, full of a spite unheard since The Heat and Suicide. On ‘Adore Life’, they feel as though on a much higher stage, with more ambition. There’s a new vulnerability and sense of structure, both of which work for and against the record.
All changes to the production/sonic shifts on Adore life do well to suit the soaring vocals of lead singer Jehnny Beth, if only her. Her witty lines shine through a generally cleaner instrumental mix; the drums are suffocated and the gravelly feedback is wiped from their guitar timbre’s. Jenny may sound more unhinged and in-charge, but it only fills the void of a lively performance from Emma (guitar) Ayse (bass), and Fay (drums)
Beth’s vocal performance and lyrics have improved, not that they needed it. Her lyrics have moved beyond simply biting back against the patriarchy: they deconstruct misogynist urges and reveal their implications on human nature. As a result, an element of verbal assault has been stripped away while the wit and drama have excelled. However more powerful these verses, though, they’re relatively out of place on a record that sounds like a softening of the edges.
