Les Savy Fav: Let's Stay Friends : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone

Album Reviews

Let's stay friends is the first album of new songs in six years from indie-rock madcaps Les Savy Fav, yet it sounds like a band that's just hitting a peak. These Brooklyn-via-Providence, Rhode Island, dudes veer between art-punk guitar and disco drums, managing to fuse Fugazi circa In on the Kill Taker with Chic circa Risque. They built their legend as a furious live band, thanks largely to Tim Harrington's human-tornado energy; with his grizzly beard and Falstaffian bulk, he can dance all over a crowd's heads while making them shout along with verse like "Botoxed in bobby socks! Cold as ice! All the boys were like white on rice!" He doesn't disappoint here, with werewolf howls and party chants, plunging through political turmoil with his usual humor, especially in "Scotchguard the Credit Card," with its Hallmark-ready chorus, "You're goddamn right I resent the rent!" But when he pleads, "Won't somebody meet me in the present tense?" you know he won't suffer alone.

ROB SHEFFIELD

(Posted: Nov 1, 2007)

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4of 5 Stars

Les Savy Fav are one of the greatest underdogs of Indie Rock. Their special brand of noisy punk is unmatched and fortunately for us Let's Stay Friends may not stray far from what we're used to but it's a f#cking good time. Heavily distorted guitars over Tim Harrington's wail. I mean, who doesn't like Tim Harrington? The man easily impresses at live shows by showing up in everything from a Santa Claus costume to him half-naked in a cape. This is their first release after 2004's "Inches" which was a mindblowing bag of goodies (rarities and even some new material). LSF have been in the game for over a decade and still party as hard as they originally did. Beer, Charisma, and Energy can do a lot for a band and Let's Stay Friends proves the formula works. It's balls-to-the wall rock anthem after rock anthem, New York was having a stroke of bad luck but one band can save the city. That band is Les Savy Fav and you need to buy this record.

Nov 8, 2007 15:11:48

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