Alex Winston : Sister Wife EP

<img src="http://www.qromag.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/alexwinstonsisterwifeep.jpg" alt="Alex Winston : Sister Wife EP" />Alex Winston may still be trying to find her true sound, but from the raw evidence in this EP, it...
Alex Winston : Sister Wife EP
7.5 HeavyRoc
2011 

Alex Winston : Sister Wife EP Alex Winston is exciting.  The Detroit native grew up with music like The Stooges, some great Motown, and as can be derived from her new EP, Sister Wife, some pretty heavy Americana and operatic influences.  She combines all of these influences and a penchant for writing a catchy melody on her debut EP. 

Winston has been working with New York based production duo The Knocks, whose past credits include Rihanna and Ellie Goulding (QRO photos), and the results are favorable.  Winston’s playful, juvenile vocals play well with the variety of self-written tracks that made their way on to the album.

Sister Wife will get you up out of your seat early.  The unreasonably infectious opener "Locomotive" features a strong pulsating beat over which Winston laments, "I wish I cared about / The things you cared about / But I don’t."  The title track, "Sister Wife", is an anthem of a song.  Paired with a healthy beat and another addictive melody, Winston brings the heat with an aggressive hook, "Hey there sister wife / Get the hell out it’s my night / You don’t know the way to his heart like I do."

From there the EP stumbles around a bit.  She moves through several styles, letting her Americana and opera influences show themselves in "Don’t Care About Anything" and "Fingers and Toes".  Both tracks are strong enough, but fail to really shine when compared to the first two tracks.

 "Choice Notes" is also a highlight, pairing a Lilly Allen-esque horn-plus-piano intro with Winston’s aforementioned knack for a good melody.  "Sweet James" is a bright candy-coated ode to the sixties love song.  Winston’s voice lends itself very well to the sound, and is a good counterpoint to "Sister Wife" and "Locomotion".

The EP can sound a bit like an audition tape (not a terrible thing for a debut EP to resemble), with some styles impressing and others failing to make a real impression.  Alex Winston may still be trying to find her true sound, but from the raw evidence in this EP, it is apparent that she’ll be one to watch in the near future.

MP3 Stream: "Sister Wife"

{audio}/mp3/files/Alex Winston – Sister Wife.mp3{/audio}

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