Bristol trio Sœur have already played at countless major festivals and are currently in the midst of a comprehensive UK tour to support the release of their second EP, ‘Fight’.
‘Quiet It’ opens the EP with Tina and Anya’s soulful and distinct vocal styles interlocking in style over brooding drums as they deliver personal and direct lyrics. Clocking in at under three minutes, the guitar work is reminiscent of Demob Happy at their most engaging. Following this is the Pixies-esque ‘Track Back’, an anthemic piece with a delicately put-together slow-build that combines pop hooks with stabbed riffs and lyrics about trying to overcome a predicament: ‘I’m trying to decide’.
The defining statement of ‘Whole Me’ appears to be ‘What you give is a hole in my head’ and this grungey riff-laden song has a real focus on the impassioned delivery of both singers’ vocals – although James’ stop-start druming veers it into delightfully complex math-rock territory. This experimental approach continues on ‘Out Again’, a powerful blast of agit-rock-pop with scattergun riffs that would delight Steve Albini.
The closing song of the EP is the title track (and recent single). Inspired by an ex-army friend of the band who loved the idea of protecting his homeland but despised the notion of fighting, it’s a song that gives both singers the chance to flex their vocal muscles as they passionately deliver this man’s thoughts and feelings over guitars and drums that gradually increase in speed and zeal: ‘Find someone else to fight for your cause’; ‘You will not make me fight anymore, you will not abuse me anymore, I will not let you use me anymore’.
Combining addictive melodies with dirty riffs and with plenty to say about the world todat, Sœur are a special band you’ll want to line up alongside for any upcoming battle. The ‘Fight’ EP is a knockout.
