The Savage Nomads

With a change in sound, as well as line up, South London band – The Savage Nomads – certainly appear to be enjoying the repercussions of their dramatic reinvention. With catchier, poppier tunes, though maintaining Cole Salewicz’s distinctive deep drawl, it seems to me that the band have finally found their niche, and with it a solid fan-base, many of whom made the journey to The Garage on a wet and windy Saturday night…

Adorned in tie-dye t-shirts and shiny trainers, The Savage Nomads ooze charisma and an impressive theatrical stage presence, successfully managing to brighten up the rather dreary surroundings. Blasting out energy-filled Indie-rock fused with shades of ‘80s pop and catchy lyrics, the band seem intent on making a name for themselves and putting on an enjoyable and memorable show. Apparently, Salewicz informs us, The Nomads have played at the Garage before, but to a somewhat smaller crowd of one man and his dog… Thankfully, there is a considerably larger turn-out tonight, and deservedly so.

“ We wanted to incorporate all different ideas into the sound; there are too many influences to name” – frontman Salewicz once said, and this is evident upon hearing the band play. Treating us to a variety of both old and new songs, The Savage Nomads are able to showcase their versatility and eclectic style. Whether we’re listening to the Tony Hadley-esque vocals of earlier songs such as ‘An Empty Seat’, or the more spirited and catchy sound of latest single, ‘Jaded Edges’, however, one thing remains the same – the high standard of the music that’s being created.

Regardless of the age, or style, of the song, The Savage Nomads are consistently able to generate musically complex riffs fused together with multiple guitars and atmospheric interludes. The band as a whole seem incredibly tight and rehearsed at playing together, and appear to be highly skilled at constructing perfectly complementary compositions. Pete on drums, for example, remains impeccable throughout, delivering flawless pounding beat upon flawless pounding beat.

So, put together some eclectic ingredients – a few Libertines-esque jangly riffs, mixed together with some ‘80s pop, and a touch of some cool, alt-rock inspired vocals – and what you’ll come up with is the enthusiastic Indie-pop sound of The Savage Nomads. A band who, at the Garage on Saturday night, despite the bad beer and blinding green lights, put on an incredibly enjoyable and high quality set of songs. If you have an ear for exciting, guitar-filled new music, and haven’t yet had the pleasure of being introduced to The Savage Nomads, then I highly recommend you check them out.

The new single, ‘Jaded Edges’, is out next month, via bandcamp.

Mari Lane
@marimindles - Gigslutz

Once again, The Savage Nomads unveil another tune full of their notorious trickery, training the ears as it progresses from a more typical indie-rock song into a full-blown heartfelt anthem.
The title, ‘Porno‘, encapsulates perfectly the notion of action, entertainment and alertness, whilst also maintaining a level of soothing melody with help from frontman Cole Salewicz’s delicate baritone, allowing the natural beauty of the song to be revealed.
Always aiming to throw everything into the mixture with influences ranging from dub, to psychedelic, to post-punk, ‘Porno’ then is the ultimate example of what happens when all those ideas, inspirations and ingredients work magically. Firstly, although the guitars are prominent as they layer, spiral and slice over the discotheque derived drums that bring to mind the image of Jackson Pollock in one of his moods, the bass is perhaps the most notable aspect of the song’s exposition. A tight and funky bass section aids the songs already peculiar complexion, driving the song forward without losing any of its oddball qualities.
The voice also doesn’t let the listener let go; the words being sung delicately as a whisper wanting more in the scenes of a 90’s dream sequence. Its seductive but sinister, allowing the words to be more than just words, but a world-view all can relate to. It soon eradicates and erupts into a more euphoric effort; broken down in all its eccentric mechanisms not long before reintroducing the chorus, elasticised and elated to keep the dance floor full late at night, but also the family picnic on schedule on a summer’s afternoon.
It’s a three-minute gem combining The Stone Roses, The Smiths, The National, Arcade Fire and Vampire Weekend; but the result of those influences that clearly infect the song allow The Savage Nomads to spray their own slogans, logos and lyrics on the walls of their hometown; from chaos comes creation folks.


Read more: http://www.live4ever.uk.com/2014/03/track-review-the-savage-nomads-porno/#ixzz37ToGZUpT - Live4Ever

Having had small change in the line-up, the band are taking a step in a different direction to their previous sound; whilst the complex drum beats and creative guitar leads remain, these fundamental aspects have been picked up and shaped into something more pop driven- however this is not something to be sniffed at. Taking obvious influence from The Libertines and The Strokes with interlocking guitar melodies and rhythms, the band have constructed this into 3 and a quarter minutes of intelligent indie pop that is designed to get you bopping along from the first few beats. Frontman, Cole Salewicz’s voice is also sounding stronger than ever before, packing in a lot more variety in his vocal style to give the song that extra bit of character (with rather wonderful harmonies from his band mates) whilst his lyrics remain a source of great one-liners and narrative. Jaded Edges is a great narrative: depicting the roller coaster excitement of a one week fling.

With instrumental hooks big enough to hang a cow from and a chorus that is poised enough in its subtlety that it will lodge itself in your head without you even realising how catchy it is before it’s too late, this is, without a doubt, The Savage Nomads hitting another peak in their songwriting, possibly the strongest indie pop of the year and it’s something that bodes very well indeed for their upcoming material.

Jacqueline Hedge
Read more at http://www.artrocker.tv/news/article/single-review-the-savage-nomads-jaded-edges-news#m7YIe3fetVfFHpxm.99 - Artrocker Magazine