The free Mission District gathering is an opportunity for fans to witness the poignant craftsmanship of Sour Widows, who of late are channeling tragedy into their art, writes wreisman.
Every Sour Widows song feels like an intimate conversation. Founding members Susanna Thompson and Maia Sinaiko trade flittering vocals, their registers rarely rising above hushed whispers and plaintive coos. That unrushed gentleness makes listeners feel privy to their most private moments. Only the lilting upswells of guitars and the light tumbling of Max Edelman’s drums remind us that this is a musical act and not a therapy session.
The Oakland-based band showcases their close ties during the 20th Street Block Party on Saturday. The free Mission District gathering is an opportunity for fans to witness the poignant craftsmanship of Sour Widows, who of late are channeling tragedy into their art. Evidence of their intimate partnership can be found in “Witness,” the band’s most recent single and first song that Sour Widows finished following the death of Thompson’s mother. Perhaps the most ambitious and forceful creation in the band’s catalog, the track is an ocean of moving currents, undulating between somber moments and intense outbursts and highlighted by Sinaiko and Thompson belting out vocals in unison to the background of craggy guitars.
Their deft use of minimalism and negative space mostly aligns them with groups like Girlpool and Young Marble Giants — acts that use ghostly absences to maximize the parts they play out loud. Every sound missing in “Witness” makes the heard parts all the more meaningful.
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