French Kiss
1997
3/5
About This Album
Les Savy Fav's spectacular debut, 3/5, opens with a spoken word track appropriately titled "Intro." While beginning a rock album with a speech is unusual enough, even more unusual is the fact that it is entirely in French. Although this is neither the first nor the last brush with the language on this record (which should, one supposes, come as little surprise considering the band adopted a French moniker), nowhere else on 3/5 does it seem as intrusive or alienating to the listener. By the album's third song, "Cut It Out," the true attitude of this Brooklyn five-piece is clear. Skronking, discordant guitars weave a fuzzy, stuttering backdrop against which frontman Tim Harrington animatedly screams lyrics that form jagged, often quite moving short stories. Thoughtful tracks like "Je Taime" and "False Starts" take a considerably less manic approach than most of the bands' other work, and the break in tone helps display the group's talent for writing truly great songs that don't have to be in-your-face. On songs like "Pluto," Les Savy Fav proudly displays influences like Jawbox and Fugazi in their use of sing-speak vocals, thought-provoking lyrics, and angular rhythms, while "Raise Buildings" hints at the Brainiac-esque direction their music takes on future releases like Emor: Rome Upside Down.
Track List (try tracks 3,4,5,6,7 and 8)

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