Moment of 'Silence'

If you haven’t been caught up in the hype for Savages yet, let me fill you in. Savages is a four piece post-punk band from England, composed entirely of women.

Savages initially started accumulating hype back in 2012 thanks to their raucous live show and politically-charged ideals. Now, on the debut record, “Silence Yourself,” Savages deliver on its young promise with one of the most energetic and memorable punk releases of the year.

The album is basically split into halves, separated by the two-minute ambient interlude “Dead Nature.” The first half of the record is the weaker of the two halves, but it still contains some of the band’s best work.

Album opener “Shut Up” might be the punk anthem of 2013 with its groovy bass lead and supporting guitar lines that cut through the song like knives. It’s the perfect warning shot to start off the album’s brisk 38-minute runtime.

Other front-half highlights include “I Am Here,” which takes its time climbing to one of the album’s most chaotic climaxes. While the guitar and bass may draw listeners’ initial attention, it’s the feral drumming that really propels the energy of this record. Unfortunately, the first half of the album starts to tumble near its conclusion, such as on the heavily reverberated “Strife” which never achieves the momentum of the album’s best moments, or “Waiting for a Sign” which serves as the album’s slowest, darkest and noisiest track. “Waiting for a Sign” isn’t necessarily a bad track, but at over five minutes, it’s reverbed slow grind can become exhausting.

Thankfully, the second half of “Silence Yourself” is nearly flawless. It opens up with the furious “She Will,” which has a chorus comprising vocalist Jehnny Beth repeatedly screaming “She will” with the drums matching Beth’s primal delivery with quick, powerful blasts on the cymbals. Next, “No Face” and “Hit Me” provide two of the quickest bursts of adrenaline. The lyrics of “No Face” suggest ideas about lack of identity, while “Hit Me” succeeds thanks to Beth’s committed vocals.

Finally, the album wraps up with one more blast of manic punk energy with “Husbands” before slowing down on the album’s final cut “Marshal Dear,” which ends with an unexpected horn solo. It’s an unconventional way to end such a wild album, but oddly, it works.

“Silence Yourself” is a brilliant start for Savages. The band’s reckless energy and committed performances make them a band to watch for in the future. The album’s cover contains a poem that essentially sums up the band’s thesis:

“The world used to be silent. Now it has too many voices and the noises are constant distraction … Yet if the world would shut up, even for a while, perhaps we will start hearing the distant rhythm of an angry young tune and recompose ourselves. Perhaps having deconstructed everything, we should be thinking about putting everything back together.”

So, if you’re willing to “shut up” and listen, Savages’ angry young tunes may just be the liveliest piece of punk rock you’ll hear this year.

By Bronson DeLeon