by Dan Goldin (@post_trash_)
Astute listeners might believe there’s a new SAVAK album on the way. The tireless Brooklyn quartet has released four full length albums in the past six years and a slew of EPs and singles, most notably of recent, a pair of singles in both November and December. That streak continues this month with the release of Cold Ocean b/w Adolescence Obsolete, the latest in monthly output. Are all these singles building up to their first new album in two years? Your guess is as good as ours, but in the meantime, there’s a constant source of new SAVAK to enjoy! The band, led by Sohrab Habibion (Obits, Edsel), Michael Jaworski (The Cops), and Matt Schulz (Holy Fuck), make post-punk and Dischord referencing post-hardcore with an emphasis on melody and big hooks. They seem to have a great time doing it and it comes across with each effort released thus far.
“Cold Ocean” continues the band’s wiry precision, a song that is really built on insistent bass and a darting guitar line that fully combusts during the hook. As veterans who have been playing in various bands since the early 90s, everyone in SAVAK plays their part, drawing your attention in different directions while maintaining a pop sense of clarity. Then there’s the video… the band’s own gritty narrative drama set around various neighborhoods of Brooklyn. There’s even someone credited on the Youtube page as “stunt double” and while I’m not entirely sure what qualified as a stunt, it certainly makes it all the more exciting. Habibion plays a jewelry dealer named Sniffles while Jaworski plays someone named Babyshoes… need I really say more.