Savages - Adore Life

Picking up from and packing a similarly thrilling but more cohesive punch than Silence Yourself, Adore Life is brutally beautiful. Savage. My idea of aural pleasuring. This will top 2016’s lists. Such are the production values, what you hear is what you’ll get live: a vehement and exhausting affirmation of existence. Experience it. Physically lean but mightily muscular, Savages waste nothing – especially the touchstone references to actually living – no bullshit. You know exactly where you stand. And that could be brought to your knees. Spitting swears, sexuality and sex, Jehnny Beth’s disconcerting, confrontational and, seemingly, confessional coo/scream is strong, persuasive, irresistible. At one with the instrumentation that seamlessly shifts from cinematically warm and enveloping to a more characteristic claustrophobic pounding post-punk, pitch-black, brain-splitting soundtrack of cascading drums and caterwauling guitars. Best of all, the title track is punctuated with silence, taking Savages full circle. Forceful throughout and all about getting in a froth, Adore Life is layered angst that pumps urgently, gushing blood and spunk. It’s a beating heart of boundless energy that occasionally pauses for breath and reflection as it constantly shouts a commanding call-to-action IN YOUR FACE: make the most of every minute. Adore life.