the staves

A stunning return for the Watford siblings, taking the heart of their 2012 debut and adding a welcome muscle, darkness and depth to those untouchable harmonies.

Justin Vernon can take some credit here, his production and guitar contributions lending a beauty and restraint that elevates ‘If I Was’ far beyond the usual folk-tinged singer-songwriting, but this is far more than a Bon Iver album with female vocals: in the country twang and bluesy drama they evoke First Aid Kit at their upbeat best, whilst the widescreen fragility recalls Laura Marling. “a stunningly gorgeous-sounding album which should see the three talented sisters move up to a whole new level” 4/5 – musicomh, “The voices are still silken, the sibling harmonies still graceful… yet the sound is so much bolder, the music taking thrilling leaps in character and complexity” 4/5 – the guardian