It’s thought that many an artist has been inspired by the striking beauty of the Durham Dales, including the old greats JMW Turner and Charles Dickens. So having swapped her rural hometown of County Durham for London 5 years ago, it’s clear to see why Sarah Beresford, perhaps better known as the frontwoman to all girl band Oh Sister, would want to base her debut EP on the soundless landscape of the Dales.
Inspired by the sound and poetics of Bob Dylan, the band name is a tribute to his song ‘Oh Sister’, which was released in 1976 and is expressed in the profound nature of Beresford’s lyricism.
Graceful yet nonchalant
Away from London, Beresford’s graceful yet nonchalant vocals sweep us away into the slow and subdued world of her EP Watch the Water, where we are presented with four ethereal tracks, featuring delicate instrumentals and gentle guitar acoustics.
The EP begins with the melancholic welcome of ‘Don’t Leave’, a song that seems to come out in the cusp of a lover’s argument: “We shook on this, we agreed/If love is dangerous, we have a duty/to get through it/and come out alright … Don’t leave”. Yet despite the sombre mood, Beresford’s voice takes on a soothing influence.
Heartfelt and enigmatic
Her heartfelt and enigmatic appeal is a strong theme throughout, and it paints the landscape of the place she left behind physically and emotionally. As she sings in ‘For the Dales:’ “Darkening hills/became your arms/became your torso/I don’t you love you for nothing, no/tilt your head back slowly and smile.”
Overall the whole EP makes for some really lovely listening and comes out on top for its meaningful lyrics and thoughtful acoustics.
Watch the Water is due to be released on the 2nd of August 2015.
You can follow Oh Sister on Facebook and Twitter, listen on Soundcloud or check out her website.
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