Review: The Gay Blades – Savages

Artist: The Gay Blades
Album: Savages
Genre: Indie / Trash-Pop
Label:
4 Never Records/Triple Crown Records

I’ve been a Gay Blades fan since the fall of 2008 when I received a copy of Ghosts at my campus radio station. Ever since the first note of that album, I’ve been hooked. Seeing them a total of three times in two years, I can say they are just as exciting live as they are coming from your speakers. So when given the chance to take a sneak peak at this self-proclaimed “Trash-Pop” duo’s newest release, I was as eager as they come.

The first notes of Savages opening track “Rock ‘N Roll (Part 1)” (a possible homage to Gary Glitter himself?) left me as excited as a thirteen year old at a Justin Beiber concert. The attitude seeps from every single pore of this song, and if you don’t tap your toe by the time you hear the last chords, you may want to check your pulse. The same rough guitar and heart wrenching vocals you’ve come to love scream out as lead singer Clark Westfield pours his heart out, leaving the first song ringing while speaking the words “Clean this place up, it’s a mess. Have some self respect”.

The Second track, and the albums first single “Try To Understand” captures the same poppy attitude you’ve come to love from the band. They released the single earlier in the summer as a free download in trade for a tweet or facebook status, a price definitely worthy of such an amazing song. With their signature pop-trash attitude added with playful horns, this track stands out amongst the album as a clear favorite.

However, at this point the music starts to take a darker turn. The Gay Blades have grown up quite a bit from their first two albums, and this is where they show it. “Why Winter In Detroit?” is an amazing example of how the band has taken their catchy lyrics, added quite a bit more depth musically, and slowed it down. Even though this is a huge change for The Gay Blades, it is done like an art. The chorus screams “It’s kill, kill, kill or be killed”, and you can’t help but stay glued to the track. Throw this in your cars CD player, roll your windows down,  and scream along, it’s okay… you won’t be the only one doing it.

But as with any album, this one isn’t without flaws. As the album continues, some of the songs tend to blur together and sound alike. I am a fan of albums having a distinct flow, however sometimes it’s okay to break up the tracks with something a bit more uplifting. With this release, it’s hard not to feel Westfield’s pain as the album progresses on. If he has ever had a talent in his life, it’s putting emotion back into music.

Then as soon as you’re getting used to the doom and gloom, Savages picks up again with the ninth track “Burns and Shakes”. From here, the album takes off and ends on an explosion with the final track which is cleverly named “This is where our conversation ends…”. This album flows from start to finish as a big goodbye to an ex lover, so for anyone who has ever had their heartbroken, this album is a must.

If you’re a Gay Blades fan, you won’t be disappointed with their latest release. If you aren’t a Gay Blades fan, this may be the time to start. Be sure to hit up your local record store or favorite online retailer and pick up this album October 5th!

Score: 8.5/10
Review written by: Laura Haggard

Laura
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