Last month the four women who comprise London post-punk group Savages posted a mission statement online. "SAVAGES' SONGS AIM TO REMIND US THAT HUMAN BEINGS HAVEN'T EVOLVED SO MUCH," it read, "THAT MUSIC CAN STILL BE STRAIGHT TO THE POINT, EFFICIENT AND EXCITING." "She Will", the calmly scathing and radically lustful first listen from their forthcoming album, meets these parameters. When Savages play the song live, drummer Fay Milton grips a cymbal with one hand (see 1:29 mark) and uses the other to beat the life out of it, a primal display of pure strength. Meanwhile supremely intriguing frontwoman Jehnny Beth shrieks alarmingly of a steadfast, deceptive protagonist, a woman who will "enter the bed" and "kiss like a man." "Get hooked on loving hard," she sings with poised command, "Forcing the slut out."
In their statements and song it's apparent that Savages are not particularly pleased with what they see when they look out into our world, but their output so far stands as a smart reminder of the unguarded poetic intensity that is still possible. Savages sound like they want a new revolution summer, and "She Will", a heroic assertion of female empowerment, is the sound of a wittingly reliable spark.
