Les it up.
Have you ever asked yourself what would wolves do? Les Savy Fav clearly have, as 'What Would Wolves Do?' is the name of their latest single. Firstly, are they meaning the animal or the underachieving football club? If its the football club, then the image of their manager Mick McCarthy must indicate some argy-bargie is close at hand. He may be remembered for his spat with Roy Keane but a trawl into this writers childhood recalls the man laying out opposition players with some hefty punches. That's probably not the sort of thing you want from a footballer but given that one of his victims played for Hearts and the other was a man called Crawford Baptie (seriously!), then pehaps a reward as opposed to criticism is deserved.
Football nostalgia aside, the single conjures up its own images and memories as the track evokes the sound of Mercury Rev spiked with amphetamine, the urgency of the track meshes with the high-pitched reach of Tim Harrington's vocals before the chorus crashes into proceedings, completely overtaking any thoughts about what the song has already shown. The next verse returns and the pace drops slightly yet the atmosphere doesn't. That smokey vibe rolls throughout as the guitar picks out jangling line after line and on the whole, its an impressive little number.
The alternative A-Side 'The Year Before The Year 2000' has a few annoying rhymes that fits the rhythm of the track but seems a bit forced. The bonus track isn't as joyous as the lead number but its no less interesting, as a murkier edge and muffled vocals builds to the shouted climax.
With some gigs scheduled nearer the end of October, Les Savy Fav are keeping themselves busy and with songs like this, the demand for their time isn't going to drop off.