The Wood Burning Savages are one of the finest live bands I’ve seen in a long time.
There, I’ve finally said it.
Now I know what you’re thinking. ‘All I Want To Know’, ‘Long Good Friday’ & ‘Flu Season’ – all sufficiently enjoyable tracks, but fervent evangelism is perhaps premature. And you’d be right. However if you were to take a trip down to a ‘Savages show tonight those tracks would be lucky to get a look-in at the set list.
While we waited for new releases the Maiden city natives were in recluse; writing and honing their craft. And now the wheels are beginning to turn for a band who have built up a plethora of sophisticated rowdy punk-rock songs, built on the foundation of vivid, witty storytelling and astute instrumentation.
Tracks such as ‘Venus’, ‘Thoughts Of You’ and ‘This House’ are all worth keeping your ear out for in the future. But their first single of the year, chimerical tongue-in-check disco reveller ‘America’, has remained a key-stone of their armoury for a long time.
Preposterously funky and delightfully fanciful, ‘America’ stands tall as their boldest tune.”Never been to America, but I’ve been with some states with you!” is an adventurous choice for a chorus, with it’s whimsical melody balanced on a succulent hook.
The accompanying video is a slick presentation of stylised band footage and retro archive clips. It furthermore mirrors the song’s theme, highlighting unappetising excesses and crude military obscenities of a certain superpower.
‘America’ is available for download on March 18.
