Photo Credit: Nick Pegg
This past Friday, Montreal’s The Fake Friends released Let’s Not Overthink This, a full-length that blends post-punk rhythm / new wave late-night record. On Stomp Records, the record nods to Pylon, Wire, Parquet Courts, Cloud Nothings, and Franz Ferdinand, cutting through. The release has been described as a lively and wired album that reflects the city the band were brought up in. What began in 2020 as an opportunity to socialise became a regular occurrence for the group. Founded by Frontman Matthew Savage and guitarist Luca Santilli, they were soon joined by longtime collaborators Felix Crawford-Legault, Michael Kamps, Bradley Cooper-Graham, and Michael Tomizzi until the lineup locked into place.
The record opens with “Ministry Of Peace,” a jittery broadcast that moves toward media noise and cultural static. Savage repeats “no truce” as the song builds, guitars cut through the haze. It sets up the album’s central theme: trying to hold onto yourself while the night shifts in every direction. “Sucker “Born Every Minute” gains momentum by blending melodic impact with self-awareness derived from an understanding of your own patterns. “The Way She Goes” slows everything down, leaning into sleek guitar lines and late-night restraint, sitting in that tension between desire and self-sabotage that the band nails so well. At the heart of the album is “HyperConnection,” It is a tight, shimmering track that balances wit and anxiety. Savage pokes fun at astrology, chokes on long books, and stumbles through mixed signals while the band locks into a groove that feels like the inside of a crowded room. The mantra “all eyes on me” repeats itself like confidence. It is the clearest statement of what the record does best, turning everyday absurdity into something cathartic, catchy, and just a little unhinged. As the album develops, the emotions rise and fall in waves. “Control” slows the pace, allowing the keys to drift over a beat. “Living the Dream” captures a familiar phrase that feels both present and detached. “Backstreet’s Back pt. II” adopts a darker swagger, creating a haunting atmosphere without explicitly naming the ghost. Further along, “Dance on My Grave” transforms into a peculiar celebration—a moment of reflection after a terrible night, while “Good Friends” concludes the album by returning to a simple arrangement of piano and voices. It delivers one last bitter truth: “you fuckin’really hate this town.”
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The album reflects real-life with Friends guesting on vocal stacks, lifting the choruses on the record. is an album about people who’ve shared bills, basements, cheap beers, and bad shifts, adding their voices because they were there and it made sense. You can hear that community spirit in the performances, each member pushing the others forward without stepping on each other’s toes. Sessions at Mixart with producer and engineer Jordan Barillaro keep the energy tight, warm, and unsteady, reflecting a good night out. Mastering comes from Vince Soliveri. Across all eleven tracks, there is movement, mood, and the sense of a band who know who they are.
The Fake Friends were formed in 2020 by vocalist Matt Savage and guitarist Luca Santilli after their initial plans to jam together. Michael Kamps (bass), Felix Crawford-Legault (guitar composer), Bradley Cooper-Graham (keys) and Michael Tomizzi (drums), the sextet punk rock band hails from Montreal, Canada and has released one EP and one LP to date. They have shared stages with Gimme Gimme’s Buzzcocks and Wine Lips in their native country.
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