Les Savy Fav - Root For Ruin

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5...according to our Business Lady on Thu 09 Sep, 2010.

It's a mystery to me why Les Savy Fav aren't a more popular band. Sure, they are are well liked band but in my opinion they should be fucking massive! They've always written fantastic music and i don't reckon they've committed anything shitty to tape with 'Root To Ruin' being no exception. That's five studio albums in and they still fucking rule!! How many bands can say that? I heard 'Let's Get Out Of Here' once at Primavera back in April and it has stuck with me ever since. To hear it this morning in all it's post-Pixies glory is enough to bring a little tear of joy to my eye. It's not only a classic Les Savy Fav tune, it's a classic tune full stop. The rest of the album ain't to shabby either sir. It's certainly a raw, savage beast by comparison to 'Let's Be Friends' yet it's still packs plenty of variety in whilst maintaining it's purest pop sensibility. While it still goes for the jugular, to a degree it bypasses the 'Let's Be friends' sound in favour of a 'Go Forth'/'Cat & the Cobra' vibe. Tim's lyrics are riddled with flamboyant charm and his delivery is as adventurous as ever. The band sound awesome too! The music is dynamic and fresh for the most part and even when things get a little steady like on 'Dear Crutches' they still sound better than most bands. What can i say, they've put in the man hours, they've made every effort to meet you half way, buy this album and show your love for one of America's finest rock bands. Amazing record. Thanks lads. Roll on Primavera 2011.

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OVERVIEW: Since their emergence from the Rhode Island School of Design in 1996, Les S avy Fav have been building a passionate following among musicians, fans, an d critics the old fashioned way: by earning it. In a world where technolog ies speed new music to listeners and enable young bands instant access to l imitless audience, Les Savy Fav is among an increasingly rare breed of band who built their audience city by city and fan by fan. The approach has yie lded something even more rare: a fully seasoned band at the peak of their s kill that has not been blown out by hype and overexposure. The band’s 200 7 release, Let’s Stay Friends, was their first to achieve substantial pre ss response and found it's place in many lists of top albums for the year. With their new release, Root For Ruin, Les Savy Fav seems poised for the k ind of widespread acclaim many have felt they have long deserved.

The new album is called Root For Ruin for several reasons. Here’s one: it sifts through 15 years of musical experience to arrive at a diamond-edged sound that’s as upfront and direct as the quintet’s legendary live show s. That goes for everything from the gut-punching percussion and drunken pu nk subtleties of “Clear Spirits” to the moonlit melodies and restless, groove of “Sleepless in Silverlake”. "Poltergeist", cut in one take at the band's rehearsal space, features a downward spiral vibe that’s both delirious and delightful. Root For Ruin keeps you on your toes through 11 tracks.

The band approached their previous release Let's Stay Friends, after over t en years working together, the way a married couple looking to spice things up might. Like the hosts of a wild swingers party, they opened their arms to embrace new players from such indie rock institutions as the Fiery Furn aces, Broken Social Scene, Enon and Modest Mouse to join them. They even we nt so far as to invite fans to sing on their tracks over the phone. Root For Ruin finds frontman Tim Harrington, bassist Syd Butler, drummer Harrison Haynes, and guitarists Seth Jabour and Andrew Reuland enjoying a less "ope n" relationship. The album features only the five Favs. “With our last album, we wanted to cavort around the world and try some freaky stuff.” s ays Harrington. "With this one(Root For Ruin), it turns out we enjoy making love with one another more than with a group of strangers” adds Jabour.

Weird sex metaphors aside, the tightness of the band is undeniable on Root For Ruin. For some it will signal a return to the rawer energy evidenced on their early recordings. It's clear by the tracks on the album that the guy s are enjoying their own legacy. Many songs carry the torch for some of th e band's first influences. Still, it's not nostalgic. Root For Ruin is no t stylistic pose or aesthetic conceit- it's the real deal. Les Savy Fav's commitment to it's work and fans might explain why one of Brooklyn's ballsi est bands has maintained such a cult following for more than a decade. Wit h Root For Ruin, they've succeeded in distilling their interests and experi ences into an album which will continue to influence the independent music scene they've helped build while broadening their sound towards a new world of fans.

TRACKLISTING:

01 Appetites 02 Dirty Knails 03 Sleepless in Silverlake 04 Let’s Get Out of Here 05 Lips n’ Stuff 06 Poltergeist 07 High and Unhinged 08 Excess Engergies 09 Dear Crutches 10 Calm Down 11 Clear Spirits

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