Album Review: Sour Widows - ‘Sigil’

Sour Widows, the duo of Maia Sinaiko and Susanna Thomson return with their sophomore release Sigil this week. The album marks a revelation for the pair, as they have eschewed the longer tracks for more concise tunes with “cowboy chords” aimed at engaging the audience.

I have to be clear through, from the jump on this one, Sour Widows show they aren’t fucking around. The title track is a fever dream based upon a literal dream by Sinaiko about the end of the world. The second track “Her Garden” is full of gritty guitar over some great vocal work, in what might be my favorite song of the year. The chorus is introspective and full of self realization. And I know, I’ve been loving a lot of the releases lately, but damn this song is great.

The guitars continue on “Still Warm”, the melody features some full chords, that while still in overdrive feel warm (no pun intended). The highs are also great on this one. Listen intently though because it goes by in a blip before transitioning to “Lucky Star” which plods along methodically. The chorus absolutely rips on this one as Sinaiko and Thomson’s harmonies burn the house down when accompanied by the overdriven guitar I’ve been raving about that is present throughout the record.

“Choke Chain” is another winner, as the percussion is a highlight as well. The fills pair perfectly with the guitar and together they both hold down the melody. I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention “Lullaby”, a heartbreaker about the situation in Gaza, that Sinaiko (who is of Jewish heritage) wrote. The vocals on this one are next-level and utilize some metal-esque screams. This one actually inspired Thomson to write the last track on the album “Wounds of Purification”, an acoustic number which features some awesome vocal harmonies from the duo. All in all, Sigil will be on my top albums of the year, as it has no skips.

Rating -9.5/10

Sour Widows will be joining another artist I love, Squirrel Flower on tour later this week! Dates below:

Tour Dates:

10/23 - St. Louis, MO @ Off Broadway *

10/24 - Lawrence, KS @ White Schoolhouse *

10/25 - Fayetteville, AR @ George's Majestic Lounge *

10/27 - Dallas, TX @ Ruins *

10/28 - San Antonio, TX @ Paper Tiger *

10/29 - Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall *

10/30 - Austin, TX @ 29th St Ballroom *

11/01 - Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar *

11/03 - Los Angeles, CA @ Sid The Cat Auditorium *

11/04 - Ojai, CA @ Ojai Deer Lodge *

11/05 - San Francisco, CA @ The Chapel *

11/07 - Seattle, WA @ Tractor Tavern *

11/08 - Vancouver, BC @ Wise Hall *

11/09 - Olympia, WA @ Wild Child *

11/11 - Portland, OR @ Aladdin Theater *

11/12 - Boise, ID @ Neurolux *

11/13 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge *

11/15 - Denver, CO @ Globe Hall *

11/17 - Omaha, NE @ Reverb Lounge *

11/18 - Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line *

11/19 - Milwaukee, WI @ Cactus Club *

11/20 - Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall *

* w/ Squirrel Flower

FMI/Tix visit: https://www.sourwidows.com.