Adore Life by Savages

Back in 2011, London based post-punk revival band Savages released their debut album Silence Yourself. The album was met with universally critical acclaim for it's punk aesthetic that remained very true to the genre, and front-woman Jehnny Beth's charismatic yet hectic approach to performing. The sheer heaviness of the music they were creating, using some fantastic bass grooves and frenzied drum playing made it seem they were destined for post-punk stardom, but how would the 4-piece all female group follow up their debut?

The lead single from the album, The Answer, is hands down one of my favorite tracks early on in the year. It's one of the loudest, heaviest, hardest hitting punk songs I've heard in quite some time, and as per usual, Jehnny Beth did a fantastic job writing the track. Unfortunately, as much as I did enjoy the lead single, the rest of the album just doesn't live up to it. Immediately after The Answer, the pace of the album is slowed down because of Evil, which while not a slow-paced song, is no where the chaotic anthem that the track before it is. Ultimately, I found it to be a fairly forgettable track in the listing. The album does return to form for tracks like Sad Person and Slowing Down the World, the first one because it feels like the high tempo anthem I want from the band, and the second one because the chorus alone does a great job of elevating an otherwise decent track. But, just when all is looking up, the album slumps right back into disappointment with I Need Something New, a track that opens up with Beth spewing raw vocals a capella, but once accompanied by the rest of the band's instrumentation, really doesn't make for anything too special.

A running trend throughout the album is lackluster verses and disappointing insturmentation that builds to fantastic choruses. Songs like When In Love and Surrender are two examples of great hooks that just get bogged down by otherwise uninteresting elements. Frankly, there's not much to say about Adore Life. When Savages are on there game, they deliver some fantastic moments, but they spend the majority of this album looking to replicate everything that worked so well on their first album, and they struggle to do so.

Favorite Tracks: The Answer, Sad Person, T.I.W.Y.G

Least Favorite Tracks: I Need Something New, Mechanics

Rating: 3/5