Stepney Sisters – Stepney Sisters (Alcopop! 
Records)
Release Date: 12th March 2021
I am not usually big on rereleases or revivals
but this one is too important to pass by without saying anything. Stepney
Sisters were a pioneering 70s feminist rock band whose light burned bright and
fast but not without leaving a mark. Fast forward to 2021 and the fine folk at
Alcopop! Records have brought them back in to the spotlight by agreeing to release
an album of their material that has yet to see the light of day despite being
recorded over a decade ago.
The album opens with ‘Never Get
to Heaven’, a horn infused track that makes you want to dance and generally do
good things as the vocal harmonies lift your spirits and the piano keeps things
moving apace. ‘Sisters’ has a more 70s New York vibe with flicked guitar chords
and those collective vocals creating a sound with soul, purpose and harmony in
spades. ‘Hey Baby’ takes the best of the opening two tracks and the guitar playing
of Nony Ardill has an excellent dirty tone to it that gives the song real grit
and a proper road trip vibe not to mention the nod to Aretha’s ‘Chain of Fools’.
There is a wistful and dusky tone
to ‘Lonely Man’ while ‘Knock on the Door’ has a 70s soul vibe but a clear message
with lyrics like “If you want the door to open, respect is the key, try to
treat each other with equality”. The music on this album is undeniably positive
in tone which is not necessarily what I expected but then ‘Family Song’ comes
along with a heavy heart and an almost gospel feel to the shared vocal duties.
On ‘Love Letter’, Stepney Sisters bring some 60s structures to the table, but
this could also be a Long Blondes B-side that had long since gone unheard.
This short but sweet album
finishes with ‘Dying Ain’t No Life’ which matches perky melodies with less
sunny lyrical themes but excellent musicianship nonetheless – not least the excellent
sax playing of Ruthie Smith. This isn’t just a time capsule or post card from
the past which is a pretty sad statement to make as the themes are still
relevant when they ought to be laughable relics consigned to the history books.
Nevertheless, the song writing and musicianship is top notch so at least that
hasn’t changed in the last 50 years either. Silver linings, I suppose.