Album Review: Saint Sister - Madrid
By Devon Hannan, Contributor
[Trout Records, 2015]
Rating: 3/5
Key Track: “Versions of Hate”
The Irish, self-proclaimed “electronic atmosfolk” band Saint Sister recently released their first four-track EP Madrid back in November. Saint Sister’s debut proved impressive for their first time in the studio. The duo is compromised of Gemma Doherty and Morgan MacIntyre, and formed only a year ago. Madrid suggests an impeccable measure of potential success for the pair.
The EP opens with the title track, which has the most electronica influence by far on the EP, although it ties in with their folk roots with ease. Elements of harp intertwined with intensive harmonies set themselves up here to become a platform within the album.
The “atmospheric folk” style is carried throughout from track to track. “Castles,” although repetitive, shows Doherty and MacIntyre creating climatic vocal symmetry between the combination of twinkling strings and percussion. The final song, “Versions of Hate," follows similarly to the acoustic progression of the second track.
Madrid, while impressive for a debut EP, is similar to many artists who have taken the same approach for their own ethereal folk sound. Dream pop artists have almost begun to shadow bands such as Mazzy Star and Beach House too much. Saint Sister has created an airy, more harmonic album than said artists, however it also suggests nothing that hasn’t already been constructed before.
By adding more sonic components to their music, Saint Sister could be well on their way to producing a more individualistic brand of folk-pop. While their genre is slowly gravitating more toward the electronica side of the spectrum, Saint Sister holds the potential to incorporate the bluegrass element that has been missing from many new artists.
