Let's Stay Friends

New York’s Les Savy Fav has come back six years after 2001’s Go Forth hitting hard, with fresh energy, a new voice, and a focus that nails what the band has long aimed for. (Friends from bands such as Enon and Black Heart Procession make appearances here, providing additional character and texture to the endeavor.) They’ve succeeded on Let’s Stay Friends (their fourth studio album), and the title is a nod to the themes at work here: integrity, loyalty, and following one’s heart/gut. “Pots and Pans” opens like a simple rock song, no hardcore/post-punk angst in site, Harrington’s voice calmly narrating the saga of a beaten-down band hanging on to their dream, while the drums slowly roll out the foundation, and guitars twinkle and cartwheel. There’s something a little fantastical about the song, recalling the Flaming Lips at moments. But then, with the slightest pause, the band kicks into the raging “The Equestrian,” all Les Savy Fav punk passion. These opening tracks set the tone for a work comprised of both sweet and savory, of thoughtfully controlled force ... a work of great reward for the listener.