Silence Yourself

London's Savages obsess over a time when bands represented points of view beyond simply making pleasing pop tunes. Comparisons to Gang of Four, Siouxsie & The Banshees, Joy Division, Wire, and other first-rate early post-punks have been frequent, with critics also noting that the all-female Savages have a distinct sound and fury of their own. Singer and frontwoman Jehnny Beth garners the most attention, as her lyrics are less songs than manifestos that may mean more or less than we assume. Yet it's hard to deny this seriousness when the band's sense of drama adds up to the scale-ascending turbulence of "Shut Up," the clang-and-bang maelstrom of "No Face," and even the slow-moving piano-goth tribute "Marshal Dear." The band has had a lot of early media hype, which is a lot to live up to. But if Gemma Thompson can continue to uncover guitar riffs as illuminating as "She Will" and Ayse Hassan can brazenly pummel her bass without apology and Fay Milton can define and derail the rhythms, well, what the future brings will be worth hearing.