Album Review: Les Savy Fav Let's Stay Friends [Frenchkiss, September 2007]

Les Savy Fav—Tim Harrington (vocals), Seth Jabour (geetahr), Syd Butler (basssounds), and Harrison Haynes (sticks and skins)—are finally releasing their much-anticipated album Let’s Stay Friends on Frenchkiss TODAY (as in, 09.18.07). In spite of much anticipation I did my best to avoid reading about it until I could hear it for myself. As a result, I’m sure I’ve repeated some of the comments others have already made, but hopefully you’ll stick with me until the end.

Here’s the deal: if you haven’t already bought your advance-sale copy of the album, GO GET IT NOW! That should be all I need to say, but in case you are still skeptical here is the low-down: Let’s Stay Friends is probably the best and most cohesive album Les Savy Fav have done. The product of nearly six years of work, live shows and growing up, I have to agree with the rest of the critics in saying that it is arguably their best yet. This album represents the effort it takes to continue following your dreams, make music and do what you do best. (This includes getting married and having kids!) In the years it took this album to get made, Les Savy Fav managed to retain the core sound that has made them icons of the independent music movement, but have also refined both their music to create pure awesomeness.

“The Equestrian” is the single off this album and it has already been heard on various Internet and radio stations lately. As a single, it is one of the most cohesive on the album with Haynes and Butler matching Harrington’s driving lyrics with an intense beat and sexy, almost angry, tone. The next song matches it for intensity and rhythm, but is followed by a slight breath of fresh air in, “What Would Wolves Do.” This song is one of my favorites and it is where I feel the band really begins to prove their development of a more lyrical, cohesive and melodic sensibility than can be found on their previous records.

This shift is immediately followed up with “Brace Yourselves,” in which the driving beats of the first few songs are replaced by something that sounds a bit more refined but no less energetic. It is questioning more than argumentative, and presents the band as a forward-looking archetype for the modern world with the lyrics like, “Before I was a crush I was a kiss. Before I was a god I was a wish.”

My next favorite song is “Kiss Kiss Is Getting Old,” and here Les Savy Fav introduce an entirely new sound - female vocalists (did YOU call in for the phone-in contest?)! They also return to the driving rhythm of the album’s earlier songs, but with more of a dance-rock sound. I hate to make comparisons but with the darker melody and more synthesizer, this song really puts me in mind of Ladytron, only way better. It will certainly make you want to rock out, but so will the entire album.

The end of the album is always a surprise to me, because I want it to keep going like the fucking energizer bunny. Let’s Stay Friends presents us with a band that is like a modern-day Pan, inciting the populace to dance while shouting the rhymes of contemporary parables. Altogether this is a great album and certainly represents the maturity of the band and all of the hard work they have put into their music and lives over the past several years. In my opinion it is one of the best albums to be released this year, and it is the only one that makes me want to listen to it over and over (and over and over) again. One time through is just not enough.

Oh, and the only negative thing I could think of is that this album might make it to the mainstream. Sad, but true, the band might actually make money off something other than Deadly Squire and sometime DJ gigs.