Savages: Silence Yourself ALBUM REVIEW

These days a lot of musicians pull from the past for sounds and ideas. In truth, pretty much EVERY artist does; however, in a time when copy/pasting ideas has become commonplace, it's nice to have a band like Savages, to remind you that, yes, it is possible to take ideas from the past and make them sound fresh and exciting. 

Savages is a British band, and that comes through in the kind of music they play, one of my favorite genres of music; Post-punk. One has to consider just how many great bands (all women bands) populate and make the genre so great, to see just how amazing it is that Savages have managed to put together an album worth mentioning in the grand scheme of things. The reason being; they bring to the table not only modern production, but also a modern message. With tracks like "Shut Up", which simultaneously tells the listener to be quite, but also says that Savages won't be silenced; while the track, "I Am Here" cements the sentiment.

The album also tackles issues of femininity, with the track "She Will" which seems to be coming from the angle of current society with it's lyrics painting a picture of a submissive, almost powerless women. 

But you don't need to analyze every single lyric or message to enjoy Silence Yourself; because it's the actual music that stands out above everything else. With production that highlights the amazing rhythm section, and bright guitars that cut through the sometimes gloomy atmosphere of tracks like "Waiting for a Sign."

Lets not forget the absolutely fantastic vocals either, which bring to mind Joy Division or The Slits, and deliver some truly dark and poetic lyrics. 

I'm extremely excited to see what Savages do in the future, because at this point, they already have a truly stellar album under their belt. 

8.8/10

Classic Review: Neutral Milk Hotel: On Avery Island

I know it's been a little while since my last NMH review, but I just found so much music that I found truly worthy of talking about! But without further adieu, here is the 2nd in a series of three reviews that will make up my NMH discography review series. 

On Avery Island is NMH first full-length LP, and when compared with their first EP, Everything Is, it's easy to see just how rapidly the band was improving their sound and really finding what made them them.

Avery opens up with the bombastic and distorted "Song Against Sex", a song that is chock full of the kind of surrealism that causes some fans ( myself included ) to obsess over what on earth it could possibly mean. 

The next two tracks have the share the same melody, and are actually more like one song with two distinct lyrical sections. The track "A Baby for Pree" is a classic example of just how enthralling Jeff Mangum can be with no more than the sound of his acoustic guitar, and one of a kind voice; throwing out imagery of bees stinging through chests, and babies poured across a bathroom floor. 

"Marching Theme" is a  pretty eclectic instrumental, an idea that they pulled of much more deftly on there sophomore album, but it's still a pretty good track here. "Where You'll Find Me Now" is a more developed version of "Pree" and "Avery Island/ April 1st" is another instrumental track; one that I've found absolutely beautiful and in fact has become one of my all-time favorite tracks, for reasons that I cannot begin to explain.

Next, you have one of the better known tracks from Avery, the fiery "Gardenhead/ Leave Me Alone" which contains even more beautifully surreal imagery with the line "Follow me through a city of frost covered angels/ I swear I have nothing to prove/ I just want to dance in your tangles/ to give me some reason to move."

The song "Naomi" may be Avery's greatest, and most well known moment. Again, giving us a glimpse of the deftness at which NMH could create simple, yet awe-inspiring songs. 

While On Avery Island may not get the same praise as their next LP,  but it still stands as a very experimental and ofttimes beautiful album that is well worth listening to.

9.0/10