ALBUM REVIEW: Barrence Whitfield and the Savages Keep Rock Alive and Thriving on ‘Glory’
Jim Shahen
Posted On December 20, 2023
EDITOR’S NOTE: As the end of the year approaches, we’re taking a look back at albums we weren’t able to review when they first came out. Glory was released in September.
It’s been five years since Boston-based Barrence Whitfield and the Savages have delivered a new record full of their raucous blend of blues, soul, and garage rock. In September, the band returned with Glory, a sublime 12-track, 30-minute blast of energy, full of big guitars and Whitfield’s booming voice and outsized personality.
The tone is set immediately with album opener “Bad Situation.” Featuring a crunchy riff and some killer sax from Tom Quartulli, Whitfield screams, howls, and belts the lyrics like a madcap Otis Redding. Succeeding track “Cape May Diamond” plays like the offspring of Buddy Holly and John Lee Hooker, while “Right Hand Man” sounds like the greatest song Little Richard never wrote.
While the Savages are a killer band – just listen to the gritty groove of “I’m Ready I’m Ready!” or the Link Wray-indebted “Rumble Strip” for evidence – Whitfield’s voice is the star of the show. The 68-year-old has a charisma that’s palpable on every track, giving the material a distinct personality that helps it feel like more than ’60s pastiche. But Whitfield’s idiosyncratic character is only one piece of what he brings to the table. He’s also one helluva singer, whether he’s unleashing some rock ‘n’ roll thunder or occasionally showcasing some subtlety.
Barrence Whitfield (photo courtesy of Bloodshot Records)
The thumping “I Do My Best to Survive” allows Whitfield to deploy a soulful croon. On “Killing Time,” Whitfield opts for an ominous rasp, heightening the dramatic tension of the music, while the aforementioned “I’m Ready I’m Ready” is a vehicle that allows him to authoritatively belt a song.
There’s no excess, no down times on Glory. Whitfield and the Savages maintain a torrid pace from start to finish. The record is a breath of fresh air, and it’s fun. It crackles with the joy and enthusiasm of a younger, upstart band, not one that formed more than 45 years ago.
Anytime one of those fuddy-duddy types laments the absence of “good” or “real” rock music, just steer them right to Glory.
Barrence Whitfield and the Savages’ Glory was released Sept. 14 on FOLC Records.
