Album No.6 from Brooklyn’s power-pop combo, SAVAK – a tight and glorious cacophony.

Release Date:  1^st March 2024

Label: Wrong Speed Records

Formats: Vinyl / Digital

Regarded as something of an ‘Indie rock supergroup,’ SAVAK came together in Brooklyn in 2015, when guitarist, vocalist and songwriter Sohrab Habibon – formerly of Edsel and The Obits – gathered a few like-minded mates together to see what happened.  Since then, they’ve released five albums (Flavors of Paradise is their 6^th), an EP and a handful of 7” singles and have gone through a string of lineup changes.  For Flavors of Paradise, founder member Sohrab and guitarist/ vocalist Micael Jaworski (the band’s other constant presence) are joined by drummer Matt Schulz.  On tour, the band is augmented by second drummer Jeff Gensterblum and bassist Matt Hunter.

Incidentally, if you weren’t already aware, the band’s name – SAVAK – is a reference to the Iranian secret police organization, the Sāzmān-e Ettelā’āt va Amniyat-e Keshvar, that operated between 1957 and the cultural revolution of 1979.

Flavors of Paradise was recorded in just 3 days at Steve Albini’s Elecrical Audio Studio in Chicago.  Steve A wasn’t in attendance, but producer Matthew Barnhart certainly was, and he and the guys have come with an album that I can probably best describe as a tight and glorious cacophony.  The band readily admit the tunes here reference such influences as The Fall, The 13^th Floor Elevators, The Stooges and The Kinks – and there’s no doubt that they do.  I’d also suggest that, intended or otherwise, strains of The Stone Roses, The Clash and, particularly, Joy Division can be detected.  Flavors of Paradise is a refreshing listen – I’d go as far as to suggest that at least ten of the album’s twelve tracks are potential singles…

A sharp drum salvo introduces Up With the Sun, the album’s punchy, joyful, opener.  Built around an infectious, jangly, guitar lick and a crisp drum figure, it’s one of those songs that’s impossible to dislike and it’s a great indicator for what Flavors of Paradise is all about.  The influence of The 13^th Floor Elevators is clearly detectable in the garage punk of Let the Sunlight In.  A bass figure leads into the song’s “1953-1961-1972-1985” refrain and the dystopian lyrics are underlined by rumbling bass and peppered by primitively twanging guitars.

There’s more dystopia with The New New Age.  The song’s lyrics describe a society in which our every action is studied and our destiny is pre-determined, all to an accompaniment of crashing drums and thrashing guitars that fit the lyrical subject matter perfectly.  Leash Biter is calmer, but it builds slowly – and satisfyingly – to a backing of thunderous bass and precise guitars until it reaches the climax: “I know that you’re scared and I try to feel what you feel; I hesitate to compare, coz we’ve all got our own lives, our own fears to survive” – lyrics that typify the whole album.

I’m reminded of Joy Division as a Peter Hook-ish bass riff provides the intro to Two Lamps.  The guitars are razor-sharp, and I particularly like the recurring slithery licks that accompany the vocals.  Driven along by a deliberate, plodding bassline, “Living will set you free, you can take it all from me” is the ironic message of Living Will, perhaps the album’s sole concession to smooth production.  Producer Matthew has even included a few string effects to counteract the howling guitars!

The punchy power pop of What is It Worth captures an authentic early 1980s feel – I suspect that SAVAK won’t thank me too profusely for suggesting that it reminds me of Martha and the Muffins’ Echo Beach – and the intensity builds as the song reaches its “What’s it worth?  What’s it worth?  What’s it worth to you?” chorus.  And Pete Townshend’s sentiments are taken literally in Will Get Fooled Again; the 2-chord riff, played by highly distorted guitars, gives the song a punky feel, but the vocals are quite measured and subdued, especially for the “Will get fooled again” refrain.  And, of course, we all will (get fooled again).  And again…

Jump into the Night retains an accessible poppy edge beneath the punky guitar thrashing, and there’s a satisfying drama to Sohrab’s guitar solo.  And the classic power pop theme is retained for the sharp, punchy, It Happens to You.  The thudding drumbeat, choppy bass, chiming guitars and in-your-face-lyrics are reminiscent of The Clash – it’s a refreshing trip back to those days immediately before pop decided it was time to go shit for a few years.

And, to conclude this whirlwind album, it’s back to a Joy Division vibe for the relentless, slow-building, spacy, Attribution.  The lyrics channel John Lennon (as much as they do anyone) as the song surges towards its “Everybody wants – all we want – is attribution.”  It’s a satisfying ending to an electrifying album.  Compulsive listening, I’d say…

Watch the official video to Two Lamps – a track from the album – here:

SAVAK: Official Website / Facebook / Instagram / YouTube / Bandcamp / Spotify

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