Nestled quietly in between the spam emails of SEO trolls, great hosting scams, and a ton of emails written in Russian, was the request from False Hope for the Savage. I am so grateful that I spent time going through the spam emails, because if I had just selected all the emails and deleted them, I would have missed the gem, that is False Hope for the Savage. Their self-titled debut album was released in August and digitally in September, and while I am late to the False Hope for the Savage party, the album should not be ignored like my spam filter was hoping it would.
When I say the five-piece band from Cardiff, Wales spent years crafting their debut album, I mean they spent years. The seven-track album was written between 2017 and 2020 and recorded in early 2020 with Tim Vincent and mastered by Pete Maher.
The band wrote this about the music,
“The songs were refined gradually over the course of those years in rehearsal rooms and on stage until we eventually went into the studio to try and capture what made them so exciting to play and hear live. The most important aspects of music for us are mood and atmosphere. We feel that each track conveys a unique feeling but that there is an overriding atmosphere that runs through the entire record. It is an album steeped in feelings of nostalgia, longing, solace and introspection.”
With False Hope for the Savage (album), the band took a left turn from where their previous EPs I and II. While there exists a subtle thread connecting the album to the preceding EPs, the album feels lighter, more sombre, and tighter in sound. The seven tracks seamlessly convey an easy stroll down memory lane and yearning for what was or perhaps what could have been.
With the album marking a distinct point in their musical journey, both the album and the band remain fluid, perpetually evolving through relentless rehearsals and live renditions. Moreover, this moment in time stands as a pivotal mark in the band’s timeline. One where past ties have become roots and where the debut album has become the blossoming seed.
The debut album from False Hope for the Savage is expansive, tantalising, and offers a glimpse into their ever evolving future.
MUST LISTEN TRACKS: “Archipelago”, “Better Things Left Unsaid”, “Stalker”
