Almost 10 years since the release of her first single, Sister Ghost has at last bestowed upon us her debut album. A culmination of years of toil and grit ‘Beyond The Water’ is a 12 track project well worth the wait that basks in her grunge roots, while seamlessly blending in a dose of modern indie-pop. The result is a dreamlike and constantly unexpected listening experience well worth a listen for any fan of 90’s rock and 2000’s pop punk.
The 90’s influence is hugely apparent on this project. Intimate verses are dominated by drums and bass, waiting to explode into huge choruses as heavy guitars and powerful vocals join the fray. The opening tracks ‘She’s Wild’ and ‘Drain You’ exemplify this, a perfect acknowledgment of Sister Ghosts inspirations. The tracks however are by no means stale as both come laden with catchy almost shoegazey hooks that take the sound in a new direction and keep the listener on their toes.
‘I Bite Back’ and ‘Dark Matter’ come next and take a step past grunge into the late 90’s with a sound reminiscent of early Foo Fighters. Two immensely powerful tracks and understandable single choices. The call and response vocal elements alongside gorgeous harmonies on ‘Dark Matter’ all paired with chugging guitars make for a track that can be easily imagined in huge arenas all over the world.
The rest of the album follows these two prototypes and continually executes them in a varied and interesting manner. There are however exceptions. ‘Cut Like A Thorn’, one of my favourite tracks on the record, encapsulates the passing of time that ‘Beyond The Water’ stands for and offers a sonic divergence from the rest of the album. With a sense of sorrowful reflection it’s a truly beautiful piece of music with melodies that work in tandem with the story of the song to drive that emotion home. Not an easy thing to do but executed perfectly.
‘Beyond The Water’ is a frighteningly powerful debut from Sister Ghost that harnesses what makes 90’s rock great and drags it into the 21st century. With floating guitar melodies and an abundance of stories this album captures the ten years of Sister Ghost that came before it, serving it up on a plate and showing off just how far she has come as a songwriter and a storyteller.
