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Jun 28, 2024 Web Exclusive By Daniel Gard’ner

It took Bay Area band Sour Widows seven years from the time of their formation to release their debut record. While that may seem an eternity in the modern age, the reasons for the time span are various and laced with transformational grief—dual singers and guitarists Maia Sinaiko and Susanna Thomson have collectively suffered the kind of debilitating loss of loved ones, either through cancer or accidental overdose, that would derail even the most air-tight plans. But the perilous journey has been worth it—on Revival of a Friend they’ve found a way to not only process their shared trauma but transmute it into something darkly compelling.

The record is testament to the power of chemistry, the intangible spark that comes off a particular combination of creative personalities. Sinaiko and Thomson’s shared history dates back to early adolescence, and their bond is evident in the way their guitars weave together like a gathering storm. The same is true of their voices, often difficult to tell apart as they lean into delicate, close harmonies or unleash gut-churning howls. Drummer Max Edelman knows exactly how to massage the songs’ dynamics, applying tasteful restraint or pointed attack with effortless fluidity.

The songs here often assume strange shapes. The guiding hand of in-demand producer Maryam Qudus can be felt as seemingly disjointed fragments slowly coalesce into frequent moments of condensed power—the jagged shards of guitar that give way to fevered bursts of fuzz in the road-trip narrative of “I-90,” or the thrilling release of “Cherish,” where the band unfurls like a wave after a prolonged spiky tension as Sinaiko and Thomson join voices on a simple, regretful refrain. These carefully constructed moments give Revival of a Friend a sense of slow-burning drama. It’s a record made by friends who are fast becoming experts.(www.sourwidows.com)

Author rating: 8/10