Pleasant Savages - Pleasantly Savage

​Pleasant Savages

Pleasantly Savage
self-released; 2022

By J. J. Thayer

Pleasant Savages is a collaboration between Oliver Hanney and Marty Drew that started in 2019. Hanney brings much of the lyrical self-reflection to their partnership; Drew brings a background in music theory and commercial songwriting. They found that their skills were quite complementary, and began to write and record together. Pleasantly Savage, a nine-song LP, is their second release.

They’ve written a fine bunch of songs here, with interesting, varied backing tracks, across different rock styles, centered around multiple guitar parts and tones. The first three tracks explore minor-key vibes, starting with “Trip,” which channels western and Spanish feels, like a Santana tune with added flamenco elements. “Riddles” switches easily through a few feels, including some punk sections. “Girl Phobia” offers a unique take; its sparse percussion is a nice touch, as the band allows the guitar strums to carry the rhythm.

The next section of tunes explores bluesy feels. “Face Says It All,” a low-fi three-chord-type blues number, uses a Casiochord drum machine, nice layers of vocals, with effects and EQ to give it their own twist. The bluesy, reverbed, old-school guitar solo was a particular highlight. “Best At Being Me” is a slow blues shuffle, using a descending bass riff like the classic “Minnie the Moocher”. Again the band cuts cool bluesy solos, both from the guitars and a vocal-and-trumpet doubling. This arrangement could use a little paring, as the song’s two-bar pattern got a bit repetitive; the five-minute track could have run half that.

“Not a Nostalgious,” a fine blues shuffle, tightens things back up with its start/stop sections and fun distorted vocals. “Soaked in Fairly Dry” is short and to the point, too, as the band brings in some jazz elements with the guitar solo. The mix here was particularly interesting, with that solo EQed away, then slotted low and behind the rhythm guitar. It worked very well. The last cut, “Chico”, takes a bit of an island/ska turn, rounding out the set with a bit of light-hearted fun.

Lyrically, there’s a bit of humor incorporated, with some purposefully added drama and embellishment. The vocals are varied and fit each piece of music nicely. At times they’re mixed a bit low; I wish a lyric sheet was included, so I could fully understand and appreciate what was said.

On the down side, some of the finishing touches on Pleasantly Savage didn’t quite land. The album starts off with crackles and pops, as if we were listening to a classic from the vinyl archive. That is all well and good, but the band has worked the crackles and pops throughout the album, which is overkill–the mood was clearly set at the beginning, so we don’t need it all the way through. Similarly, some of the mixing has some disorienting auto-pan and warble to it. They don’t need any of these gimmicks, as the tracks are strong enough on their own.

But these are minor points. Pleasantly Savage is a pleasantly enjoyable spin. Let your ears enjoy!

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