Since their loose hiatus following 2010’s Root for Ruin, Les Savy Fav’s reputation has continued to grow, especially as a must-see live band. Frontman Tim Harrington’s wild antics are the stuff of legend, further reinforced by intermittent shows the band have played in the past decade. But, these have been infrequent as the band members settled into regular jobs and family lives after the lukewarm reception of Root, perhaps signalling a natural end to the band’s first chapter. So are the art-punks willing to jump back into the chaotic world of being a full-time working band? ‘OUI, LSF’ is less a rallying cry, more a tentative toe in the water, but perhaps a little apprehension is appropriate after so long out of the game.
The most immediate aspect of the new album is it’s subdued nature and widened scope. Although ‘Guzzle Blood’ kicks things off with a siren and lyrics about “guzzling the blood of Jesus”, hardcore punk is generally kept to a minimum in favour of reflective lyrics and experimental arrangements (at least by LSF standards). ‘Nihilists Cry Less’ is a clap-happy stomper in the vein of early Beck and Limo Scene is practically new wave; ‘Dawn Patrol’ and ‘Racing Bees’ are slight interludes featuring spoken-word and experimental synth, respectively. ‘Don’t Mind Me’ is perhaps the biggest outlier of the band’s whole career, though one of the best songs here. Harrington bares his soul in an intimate performance, even reaching into a questionable high register to deliver such melancholy nuggets as “you used to love me / now you just don’t mind me.”
‘Barbs’ and ‘Legendary Tippers’ lean into the typical LSF sound, and are somewhat forgettable for it. ‘Mischief Night’ retains some of the searing guitars of old, but stays in line with the melodicism they’ve been toying with since ‘Go Forth’. ”World Got Great and ‘Somebody Needs A Hug’ recall Craig Finn in the conversational tone and small details that help to showcase the hopeful themes. The latter advocates the power of performance as a vehicle for living in the moment while the former speaks to an optimistic future: “I know one day we will say / we were there when the world got great / we helped to make it that way.”
This could play as naïve or rote – and the earlier imprecations against doomscrolling on ”What We Don’t Want or youthful posturing on ”Nihilists Cry Less could be viewed the same way – but there’s a blunt sincerity to the band that was previously funnelled into their DIY approach to performance. Now, it’s directed towards to the song-writing process. And for this, they’ve earned the right to showcase a bit of soul-searching.
Is this the album we needed or expected from Les Savy Fav right now? Debatable, but it feels like the album Tim Harrington needed to make. Welcome back.
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