Sibling duo Slo-anne take listeners for a headbanging ride on their sophomore album Whiplash.
Is there anything more deliciously fun than a sibling band? In between the fragility of romantic partnership and the casual affection of friendship, there lies the appeal of the sibling band. Of course, there is still the possibility of an explosive breakup (looking at you, Oasis), but being in a sibling band just seems like an all-around good time. And in the busyness of adult life, it’s nice to see siblings still actually hanging out, no family Thanksgiving required.
No band takes this attitude to heart more than Slo-anne, a brother-sister duo with Andy on drums and Cecily on vocals and guitar. Their recently released sophomore album, Whiplash, was titled due to the neck aches that Cecily received from headbanging her way through shows. Clearly, Slo-anne have a lot of fun together.
Each of the 7 songs on the album is certainly headbang-worthy, with Slo-anne channeling the likes of Black Lips and Courtney Barnett (put on “Back on the Train” and close your eyes – is this not Barnett?) into indie-rock tunes made for byegone basement venues and back-room mosh pits. There is also a bit of grime caked into this album that honors the gross and messy life bond with a sibling who has seen all: from songs titled “Squelch” and “Worm Hive” to lyrics that reference peeling hangnails and bleeding tongues.
But it’s not all mosh pits and sibling camaraderie. Cecily’s lyrics cut to the quick of existential dread, packing all of her twenties into tight tracks that capture the feeling of growing past friends and lovers, while simultaneously feeling left behind. On “Melting,” Cecily moans about a friend whose girlfriend interferes with the closeness of their relationship. And on “Shitty Dreams,” she reprimands an ex for still calling her up. There is a genuine ebb and flow of temperament throughout the album, jostling between vulnerability and coolness on tracks like “Cramps”: “I might seem a little sad I’m not / these tears betray me I’m pissed off / why’s it so hard not to cry / arguing with some prick guy.”
Somehow, the juxtaposition is in perfect balance throughout Whiplash, with Andy’s rollicking drums speeding along Cecily’s slowly ambling vocals. And in each track, the bridge acts as the Slo-anne special: a big, funky breath out that gives listeners a welcome break from the endless passage of time.
Still, Slo-anne doesn’t take themselves too seriously, reminding us all in “Worm Hive” that in the end, death is just “when a worm hive takes over your brain / chewing it all tastes the same / god spits your ass back into his hand.” And if death is imminent, Whiplash tells us we might as well headbang along.