Sisteray | Sisteray Said | EP Review

In a world where politics is suffering from increasingly questionable credibility, the music industry is continuing with its age-old tradition of combating such scandals with its own thrashing dynamic: poignant lyrics and reassuringly raw rhythms that unite pop and rock fans alike in a solidified army to question our outlook on society.

Rising from the streets of London, four-piece indie-rock band, Sisteray, are no exception when it comes to addressing the problems embedded deep within our society. Dropping their latest EP Sisteray Said earlier this month, the band, with an unmistakeable punk-rock persona that hints of The Clash and perhaps even Ratboy, confront fake news and inauthenticity on the music scene in an 11-minute, energy-packed album.

Kicking things off, lead singer, Niall Rowan, mocks the fast-paced pop culture surrounding shallow, ingenuine pop artists in the first song of the EP, ‘Wannabes’. With a gripping drum fade that releases into a resounding parade of striking guitar lines and a bold, commanding beat, the listener is made to feel as if they have been dropped from the stringent expectations of society into the liberating world of the care-free and galvanizing Sisteray. Not only does such an introduction set up the song well for a gripping listen, but also the whole EP.

Perhaps my favourite song on the EP is ‘Rumour Mill’. Streaked with a tense, anthemic premonition of a looming musical climax, the tone of ‘Rumour Mill’ is one that almost provokes the wish to join the band on their brash mission to both pioneer a new way of thinking and evidently start some major mosh pits on the sticky floored venues home to the biggest indie-discos. With a steady build-up of flecked riffs and mounting drum beats, ‘Rumour Mill’ grips and then slips the audience in and out of its chaotic melody to create a delirious and capturing effect.  

A song about fake news, ‘Algorithm Prison’ is perhaps the one song on the EP most deserving of its lyrics being listened to. Slamming a narcissistic culture of photoshopping and an ingrained obsession with social media, this indie anthem bellows ‘We ain’t your target market’, reminding the band’s fans not to get sucked into such a social rut. To back up its loud lyrics, ‘’Algorithm Prison’ is accompanied by heavy guitar lines, giving praise to some rather impressive guitar solos.

The final song on the EP hails the name of the EP’s title, ‘Sisteray Said’. A fitting name to wrap up the messages the EP portrays, the title reflects on the past advice the band have imparted onto us. With its slightly repetitive nature, ‘Sisteray Said’ follows the same path of the EP’s previous songs, blasting out the same punk-inspired musical structures. Although it’s not the most unique of songs, it is an apt ending to solidify an impactful and well-thought-out album.

Sisteray Said may not be the neatest or most refined of EPs ever to be released, but it does leave an air of intuitive reasoning with the band; almost as if we are left with a deep understanding of the message in which Sisteray evidently want us to take away from their music, as a listener we are immersed in a thunderous mix of both intelligent lyrics and attention-worthy rhythms that leaves us feeling part of a bigger picture – an individual that has the power to make a change.

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/album/5A2pk6E05ozGp9iDkvCdfo?si=ZBFrkwzjR5yrhfLX8oFs_Q

Review by Kate Sinclair