http://www.gigwise.com/reviews/albums/37822/les-savy-fav--lets-stay-friends-wichita-released-011007
Les Savy Fav
Let’s Stay Friends
Wichita
October 1st
4/5
Jetplane Landing’s song ‘Why Do They Never Play Les Savy Fav On The Radio’ seems a poignant and prophetic title (Even if Stuart Maconie did give some LSF tracks airplay recently). The point is however that Les Savy Fav have flown under the radar for far too long. ‘Let’s Stay Friends’ is LSF’s fourth or fifth album depending on the validity you give a singles collection (2004s ‘Inches’, regarded among LSF fans as the bands best ironically).
LSF have clearly learnt from the critical and hardcore fan success of ‘Inches’ and incorporated the more accessible moments of their music on ‘Let’s Stay Friends’. Don’t worry though; they have not lost their aggressive frantic edge. ‘The Equestrian’ is a sweaty, foot stomping anthem whilst ‘Raging In The Plague Age’ (Recently featured on Wichita’s 5th birthday compilation) is the best three minutes of fuzzy of melodic noise you will hear all year. LSF are about more than white noise though, ‘The Year Before The Year 2000’ is a slice of New York scuzz pop The Strokes would trade their vintage leathers for. The song ends with a repeated chant of “1999!”which manages to encapsulate the dual elements of LSF, the aprty atmosphere and the forceful underbelly. ‘Patty Lee’ meanwhile channels the spirit of Prince, Har Mar Superstar and that feeling you have at 3am on a Saturday night into the tightest four minute of Radio embracing pop around. No it really is.
It looked for a large period of time that Les Savy Favs career was to be a short lived one. They went on a ‘hiatus’ (Band code for we all hate each other and can’t work together any more) in 2005. However LSF are a different kind of beast and ‘Let’s Stay Friends’ does the very brave thing of not just returning with a winning formula but trying to improve on the recipe. This lead to tracks like ‘Slugs In The Shrubs’ that begins as an instrumental before breaking down into an insistent tempo altering blast of party metal. ‘Kiss Kiss Is Getting Old’ on the other hand takes an entirely different tact including a duet with Metric maestro Emily Haines. Taking the tempo and tone down a notch is devastatingly effective and provides one of the albums most memorable moments.
Overall Les Savy Favs return in not just a return to form but a base on which the band will no doubt build upon. Massively accessible yet laced with credibility Les Savy Fav have made the best album of their lives. Front man Tim Harringtons charisma and eccentricity are painted all over the album and give it an air of intelligence where it could fall into frat boy party rock. Obviously it won’t get played on the radio but it sure is nice have Les Savy Fav back on our stereos.
'Patty Lee'
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