Boom by Dara Sisterhen (EP)

Dara Sisterhen’s ‘Boom’ has the feel of a star in the making

North Carolina’s Dara Sisterhen releases ‘Boom’, an EP that combines her love of country music and the British invasion brilliantly

ixing 60s guitar pop and country music doesn’t necessarily sound like the most obvious recipe for success, given their instantly recognisable and oft replicated approaches. Clearly, though, no one told Dara Sisterhen that when she was cooking up the five tracks on Boom.

Opening with Kids, a track that has the same toe-tapping, sing-along quality of early Beatles records and a chorus that recalls That Thing You Do – the ‘hit’ of superb fictional band The Wonders – Sisterhen is quick to demonstrate her knack for a pop melody. The delicate Sets Me Free brings country into the fray in a fashion that will also perk the ears of nu-folkies, while laying a platform for Sisterhen’s wonderful, evocative voice. Forever’s Not So Long and Easy To Fool though are the most obvious country reference points, each possessed of the triumphant approach to heartbreak that’s made Dolly Parton a legend. I Wanna Be Your Girl closes affairs in a rollicking fashion that’ll have you both swinging and beaming.

Like her contemporaries Caitlin Rose and Lydia Loveless, Sisterhen is able to make country that’s both current and classic, and it’s a testament to her songwriting skill that Boom would be happily at home in either the 60s or 00s. By referencing the guitar pop of the British invasion she also brings a freshness that only adds to the timeless quality of her music. Where Boom really succeeds, though, is the sheer quality of its songs, with the potential for hit records felt throughout, and the sense that you’re listening to something special, something that’s both genuine and enthralling.

Verdict: Country could have a new star on its hands

Damien Girling

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