I’m a little bit obsessed with Disgusting Sisters right now.
I was actually tipped off about them by a venue where one of the sisters works. As it happens, it’s also one of the venues we’re looking at for next year’s supersized LOUD WOMEN Fest. So there’s a little clue for you. No, I’m not telling you which one. Yet.
Anyway, back to Disgusting Sisters, because I’m so grateful for that tip-off. I’ve been listening to their debut album Skin & Blisters pretty much obsessively, and honestly, what a treat. Ten tracks of clever, funny, wonderfully peculiar, bass-driven brilliance. Banger after banger, and not a dull moment.
First off, the name. The band are actual sisters, Julianna and Josephine Hopkins, and their name is partly inspired by the Disgusting Brothers from Succession, and partly by the wicked stepsisters in Cinderella. The album title, meanwhile, is Cockney rhyming slang for sisters, which I wholeheartedly approve of.
As someone who uses Cockney rhyming slang quite a lot in my own songs, much to the confusion of the North American audiences I’ve been singing them to recently, I’m delighted to see the young’uns keeping the tradition alive. Long may it continue. Although I suspect the Australians I’ll be performing them to next week could probably do with a glossary.
But enough about me. The music!
Opening track ‘Sorry Mister’ sets things off beautifully, with its sarcastic take on unwanted male attention, delivered over a ridiculously catchy, slightly wonky indie-pop backdrop. It’s a fabulous introduction to the sisters’ world, where pretty much anything can be turned into a song, particularly if it’s annoying, absurd or involves an eye roll at the patriarchy.
‘Weirdo Magnet’ is deliciously creepy, with a slinky bassline and a wonderfully deadpan delivery. ‘Killing It’, their debut single on Speedy Wunderground, is an absolute cracker, taking aim at judgemental people who can’t resist sticking their noses into everyone else’s business. That bassline! I’m a sucker for a sexy bassline, and this album is absolutely stuffed with them.
‘Not Cool’ is considerably cooler than its title suggests, ‘Waste Of Space’ is a splendidly pointed dismissal of an ex, and ‘Calvin Klein’ is an irresistibly odd little electronic number. There’s something brilliantly playful about the whole thing, with the sisters bouncing between electro, indie, punk and proper pop without ever sounding like they’re trying to tick any particular genre boxes.
‘TGIF’ is another favourite, taking the utter absurdity of office life and turning it into something you can dance to. The pointless meetings, the office gossip, the endless coffee, the desperate wait for Friday. Anyone who’s ever worked in an office will recognise the particular brand of misery they’re describing. It’s very funny, and annoyingly catchy.
The sisters have a real gift for writing lyrics that are genuinely clever without trying too hard. Their humour is dry, sometimes gloriously ridiculous, and often quite sharp. But the songs are never just vehicles for jokes. There are proper tunes here, with hooks that lodge themselves in your brain and refuse to leave.
‘Baby K’ has a gorgeous big pop chorus, while ‘Frankenstein’ takes things in a completely different direction. Written about the sisters’ late father, it’s a surprisingly tender and moving song about grief and memory. It’s a beautiful moment, and a reminder that there’s plenty of heart underneath all the mischief.
Most of Skin & Blisters was written and recorded DIY with producer and live bassist James McManus, with Oli Bayston helping to beef up the sound. And beefy it certainly is. The production is fantastic, especially those basslines, which deserve their own paragraph really. Possibly their own review.
The whole album sounds like two people having an enormous amount of fun making music together. There’s a real sense of personality running through everything. It’s inventive, it’s funny, it’s musically interesting, and it never gets boring. Not for a second.
I’ve listened to a LOT of new music this year, and Skin & Blisters has gone straight onto my favourites list. I keep going back to it, discovering another little detail, another clever lyric, another ridiculously good bit of bass. Honestly, I’m smitten.
Disgusting Sisters, we need you on a LOUD WOMEN stage, stat.
In the meantime, they’re heading out on tour this month, so get yourselves along to see them. I have a feeling these songs are going to be an absolute riot live.
Skin & Blisters is out now on Source Records.
Disgusting Sisters UK tour dates
18 November – The Angel, Nottingham
19 November – YES Basement, Manchester
20 November – The Poetry Club, Glasgow
21 November – Headrow House, Leeds
27 November – Club Cheek, London
28 November – DUST, Brighton
30 November – The Louisiana, Bristol
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