Good Woman by The Staves album review
Powerful, emotional, heartbreaking. All words that perfectly sum up “Good Woman”, the new album from folk sisters The Staves. Almost five years in the making, it’s fair to say that the follow-up to 2015’s “If I Was”, has been a long time in the making. However, as the opening notes of the title track bring this album to life, you’ll soon see that it has been very much worth the wait.
An honest, emotion-tugging collection of songs, the sister’s third album is a passionate outpouring from the group with each perfectly crafted track is an absolute pleasure to experience. Kicking off with the moody title track, the cry of “I’m A Good Woman” is the sound of someone pouring their heart and soul into their words. Continuing with the breezy “Best Friend”, the upbeat positivity of “Next Year, Next Time”, and the tender “Nothing’s Gonna Happen”, “Good Woman” is a spellbinding insight into the last five years in the lives of the three sisters.
It’s five years that have seen the sisters suffer relationship breakups and the death of their mother so, it should come as no surprise that, given the inspiration behind the material, the honesty and positivity are also wrapped around their sadness and grief.
Inspired by the death of their mother, “Sparks” is grief-soaked heart-wrenching track that builds up into an enormous finale. The piano-led “Devotion” is a beautiful four minutes where the three sisters, their melodies, and the music sync together flawlessly. However, it’s when you hear the passion put into the line “Well I could blow those f*****g windows out”, that the pain and suffering of the last five years finally comes to a head.
The album finishes with “Waiting For Me To Change” an album that sums up perfectly, The Staves outlook in 2021. Their lives may have been put through an emotional wringer over the past five years but, as you listen to moments like “Sparks”, it’s helped them create one of the most honest, raw to the bone collection of songs.
