Colin Lane/Matador Records
Savages
Adore Life
Matador
Irony takes a holiday on the stirring second album from the French-British quartet Savages. Unleashing an exciting tidal wave of big sounds, Adore Life suggests a volatile hybrid of U2’s widescreen grandeur, Gang of Four’s thundering rhythms and the dramatic fury of Sleater-Kinney, another all-female band with no interest in playing nice, yet never feels less than wholly original. For all her declamatory urgency, Jehnny Beth is a deceptively subtle singer; her dynamic transition from hushed to commanding on “Adore” will give you goosebumps. And don’t miss the thrilling beats of “I Need Something New,” or the engrossing delirium of “When in Love,” or virtually any other track. Overkill has never felt better.
