Suburban
Speed

Rating: 8/10

by: Jess Nielson (l)

If you thought Savages were going to stick to their tried and tested post-punk formula then you need to explore this second album from the band. "There's something to be said about slowing down the world' sings Jehnny Beth on the track of the same name, and whilst their frenetic post-punk energy is still present, at various points during Adore Life they take their foot off the gas and have a think about things.

A lot of the songs here are reflective and perhaps surprisingly tend to focus on romantic love and the pros and cons of relationships.

Having said that, the strident, pulsing 'The Answer' is a great opener, as the lyrics detail the problems of falling in love. "I'll go insane," intones Jehnny over and over, and on 'Sad Person' she sings "love is a disease, the strongest addiction I know."

Certainly they have built on the strengths of Silence Yourself, and although their sound is still heavily rooted in the golden age of post-punk they are definitely sounding more like Savages than anyone else. Siouxsie and the Banshees loomed large over their debut but here the only obvious Siouxsie-isms are on the howling refrain of 'When In Love'. In fact both 'Evil' and 'Surrender' are danceable and dubby with a cracking bass not unlike prime period Public Image Limited.

'I Need Something New' captures the intensity of the debut but it builds towards it slowly and they build a lovely wall of sound on 'TIWYG', which turns into an intense uptempo track.

The biggest surprises though, come on the two songs that some people might even call "ballads". 'Adore' is an intense slow burning tune and the centre piece of the album and closing track 'Mechanics' is practically an industrial torch song which reminds us that Jehnny Beth was one half of the jacques brel influenced John & Jehn before Savages were formed, so in a way things have come full circle.