The Gay Blades - Savages Review

Story by Jacob Fricke 

| Published Oct 5, 2010

I struggle to decide whether the impact the White Stripes have had on the music industry is good. On one hand, they reintroduced blues-rock to the mainstream, and resurrected the idea of a musical duo. On the other, they reintroduced blues-rock to a generation that has no idea of its’ true roots and are made thousands of garage bands believe that two band members is the perfect number. None of these garage bands is as talented as Jack White.

When it comes to musical duos, it’s largely a mixed bag. For every band as good as the Black Keys, the opposite is true of the Ting-Tings.

The Gay Blades, a dreadfully named band from New York, fall firmly in the middle. Their debut album Ghosts, released in 2008, was a fun but ultimately forgettable stab at indie rock. For their followup, Savages, the Blades try their hand at blues-rock with more success.

Savages, to put it bluntly, sounds like two EPs smashed together instead of an album. The first six songs are a blistering display of musical power, featuring my favorite song of the year thus far in “Try to Understand.” The following 5 songs, however, are far less interesting, harking back to their previous album. Generic indie rock was a bit more novel in 2008, but now it is tired, played out, and indicative of filler.

The band is tight, never sounding out of sync or unaware of the other person. For a two person group, this is a good thing. Unfortunately, there is very little spontaneity. Songs do not stray from the 3:30 or 4 minute mark. And, while the drumming is certainly fitting, it is rarely creative.

Ultimately, if the Gay Blades had released the first half of Savages as an EP, I would be hailing it as a challenge to both the White Stripes and Black Keys for their crown. As the second half of the album proves, however, the Blades need to pick a genre and stick with it if they ever hope of reaching their peak.

Recommended Tracks: “Rock N’ Roll (Part 1),” “Try to Understand,” “Mick Jagger,” “November Fight Song”