“Sister Wife”
from the EP Sister Wife
2011
iTunes
XX sex chromosomes are a handy thing to have right now in the music industry. Young female starlets are engulfing the musical sphere, and annually, on the cusp of the New Year, the unrelenting conveyor-belt of colossal-hype begins to gather pace, unleashing its musicians with this pre-packaged burden; from the derivative acoustic pop of Ellie Goulding to the synth-driven sounds of Little Boots, the hype cloaks the artist in a suffocating shroud. Blame the media. Blame the blogosphere. Blame your fickle selves.
Luckily for Detroit-born Alex Winston, rather than being swamped in this undesirable veil, she has been neatly tailored in a twee, modest garment of hype. You may have heard the quirky sounds of Winston, although unintentionally. Her song “Choice Notes” was recently sprinkled over a Hyundai ad (other locomotives are available) and she is set to captivate our ears with her infectiously sweet, uncomplicated sound.
She arrives with her EP Sister Wife — a sprightly collection of tender tracks that are swathed with infectious sunny melodies and complimented with unwavering kooky vocals, that are uncomplicated and easy on the ear. “Locomotive” is a sweet whimsical skiffle that exudes an airy yet somewhat oriental melody, while “Sister Wife” (a term used for her backing band) opens with a thumping spindly jam that is vaguely reminiscent of Dirty Projectors hit, “Stillness is the Move.” In “Sweet James” she channels her Rock City roots, with this sparkling slice of Motown with a contemporary spin, while her quivering Kate Bush-esque vocals unfurl behind a backdrop of violins and trickling pianos on “Fingers and Toes.” In fact, Winston’s voice throws up many similarities; it’s a piercing flutter that’s pitched between the tremulous warble of Joanna Newsom and the radio-friendliness of Marina Diamandis. This is what I find endearing about Winston — she exerts a musical oddness, but weaves it with an accessible commercial air, perfectly suited for Dermot O’Leary’s radio 2 slot.
It is in no way astounding or mind-bludgeoundly brilliant, but Winston does deserve a place amongst the congested hive of excessively-touted musicians. Let’s just hope she doesn’t end up in the forgotten “my song was in an ad, now I’m nowhere to be had” bracket of artsists. If you want to prevent this from occurring, buy her record, Sister Wife.