For a band that isn’t easy to pigeon hole, it perhaps seems odd to mention outright that the primary feature of The Savage Nomads‘ style is its familiarity. Drawing on such juxtaposed styles as dub, punk, indie-rock, and psychedelia, the London based four piece has neatly crafted a highly competent and unique pop album which leaves its commentators spoiled for references.
As singer/guitarist Cole Salewicz puts it: “We’ve always been interested in… everything.” Everything indeed, as track to track we are treated to carefully prescribed enigmatic jaunts through styles we know all too well, but have never heard arranged quite in this way.
So what can be said about another band blurring the lines? Most bands would, after all, claim to draw on a vast wealth of eclectic influences, and that any thanks to their originality cannot be paid to one particular genre or band. Diplomatic statements like these are all too common, and press releases read much the same for any new talent chomping at the bit and rightly deserving of praise.
What The Angel Said – The Savage Nomads by Alaska Sounds
So have The Savage Nomads really rounded off the edges of math rock, pop, and quirky vocals, presenting a smartly packaged no-fuss formula that would be as welcome on some idle Sunday morning family picnic as it would be filling the ears of euphoric festival goers as the sun sets and the volume dials get cranked up to eleven? Well, yes. They have, actually.
Good songwriting doesn’t need a time or a place to be heard. Good songwriting doesn’t even need a typical verse/chorus song structure to be effective, as is proved by The Savage Nomad’s flagship anthem ‘The Magic Eye‘ – mastered and mixed by Mike Crossey (Foals, Arctic Monkeys).
‘The Magic Eye’ is perhaps the best introduction to The Savage Nomads. The track opens with lingering clean guitar, accompanied by rolling drums and ring-out bass notes that together offer just enough tempo and swell to penetrate the imagination. What really sells this song however, is not the relentless and comfortable chug of the music, but the vocals. What is amazing is that without cramming, the vocal melody changes often, and even delves and peaks between low frequency spoken word and emotive salvos into the upper register.
Frequent and on the beat monosyllabic backing vocals give the song its memorable kinetic energy, and the drums do not miss the opportunity to break in to appropriate volleys of marching snare drum as and when necessary. After a progressive five minute build, the track reaches its natural climax without dithering or winding down, and with commendable cunning the boys save their most impenetrable two note vocal melody until the last, making sure the song stays with you long after you have left the song.
Diverse is the word to describe this band, making individual track commentary a bit like giving a run down of a compilation album. Yet a continuity between the wide ranging ideas on each track truly exists and can only be understood with listening. Clearly Mick Jones of The Clash understood the angle this mixed bag band of contemporary and old school doctrines is tilting at, as it was he who gave The Savage Nomads their initial opportunity at wider exposure, inviting them to play at his Carbon Casino event in London, and later, following the success of these gigs, supporting Jones’ band Big Audio Dynamite at the Shepherd’s Bush Empire, with Jones commenting “I can’t think of anyone better than The Savage Nomads to rock the whole world!”.
When all is said and done, one fact about The Savage Nomads seems to stand out against the rest. It’s a fact that seems almost counter intuitive given the bands staggering momentum. And it is this. They are still teenagers. Scary stuff, folks. Scary stuff.
(Ben Atherton)
