Savages were a formidable group — four women, all in black, making boiling, brutal punk rock — but after two albums, both Mercury nominated, it must have been hard to know how to move forward.
Singer Jehnny Beth, real name Camille Berthomier, in particular has a great deal more to offer. There has been a Beats 1 radio show, a guest spot with Gorillaz, a TV series about music broadcast in her native France, an acting role alongside Sting in French comedy film Kaamelott and, naturellement, a book of erotic short stories.
On her debut solo album she is equally eclectic. With collaborators including U2 producer Flood, Romy Madley Croft from The xx, Idles frontman Joe Talbot and the actor Cillian Murphy, she strides between industrial electronics and discordant walls of noise. Her identity as a powerful woman is a frequent theme. A naked statue stands as if ready to fight on the album cover.
Savages fans will be gratified to know that her move towards a more computerised sound has not made her music any softer. She’s a chanter more often than a singer, and memorable melodies are notable by their absence. Two piano songs, The Rooms and The French Countryside, offer opportunities to pause and draw breath. The whole thing is a challenging listen painted on a far bigger canvas than that of her previous band.
