SHE SIR - "GO GUITARS"

Artist: She Sir

Album: Go Guitars

Label: Shelf Life

Release Date: February 25^th, 2014

Review By: Sean Kayden

The Austin, Texas quartet She Sir started playing together nearly a decade ago. After a series of hiatuses and a couple of EP’s along the way, the band has lastly released their full-length debut record, “Go Guitars” this past February.  I just discovered this unique and disparate band. She Sir’s finesse is demonstrated in their music style. They quoted as Fleetwood Mac being their biggest influence, but lesser known bands such as My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive, and a cluster of other early 90s bands specializing in reverb would be better examples of being influential. I’ve always had a penchant for this dreamy sort of pop music. It’s absolutely calming and sometimes transcendent. While She Sir is perhaps not breaking any new ground, their music is a fine example of nostalgia. I’m in love with their shoegaze tendencies. Bright melodies, tight arrangements, subtle rhythms make up most of “Go Guitars.” She Sir’s debut dream pop album hits all the right melancholic chords.

“Go Guitars” is a thirty-two minute dream from beginning to end. Each track effortlessly transitions into the next. The richly textured melodic sound alongside Russell’s Karloff soft and compelling vocals is indeed a marvelous conjunction. “Bitter Bazaar” is the arguably the best track on the record, but a difficult decision to be made given the caliber of songs. It starts off slow and then there’s a rush of blood straight to the head. Vivid guitars create a reverie soundscape that allows the listener to be taken away to another place and time. However, this could also be said for “Warmwimming.” The low tempo “He’s Not A Lawyer, It’s Not A Company” is exquisitely divine. It’s a heavenly treat. Majority of “Go Guitars” is simply just that. The short-lived experience is worth every bit of the journey. While other bands seem to be heading down a road, not sure where it is taking them, She Sir is headed down a path. They know where they want to go and following them may be just be the resolution after all.

While the genre She Sir occupies in isn’t commercially popular, it’s still a delight for those with a proclivity for 90s reverb, shoegaze and dream pop. The band has ten iridescent tracks that could have been something you’d hear twenty years ago. However, She Sir allows for each track to be amazingly up to date. After what appeared to be a laborious effort to get where they are, all I can say that the results are incredible. Tuneful, meditative, and graceful are just few of the things to describe the record. If you want to get lost for a few hours, take “Go Guitars” for a few spins. You never know what you’ll discover on each go around and that’s the true beauty of this album for each individual.

Grade: 9 out of 10

Key Tracks: “Bitter Bazzar,” “Warmwimming,” “He’s Not A Lawyer, It’s Not A Company,” “Condensedindents”