Saint Sister
Other Voices, Friday
****
In an enchanted forest lies a church, and in this church, such beautiful music is made that it could turn stone to syrup and melt away the troubles of all who stumble upon it. Or so it feels, thanks to the magic of Electric Picnic, Other Voices and Saint Sister.
Their haunting performance is impeccable; Morgan MacIntyre and Gemma Doherty's harmonies are so in sync it's difficult to believe they're not the same voice. Masters at creating atmosphere, they command the room, with near-perfect silence achieved during Corpses.
It helps hold interest that they continue to surprise and delight, especially with modern-day elements like the light electronica and idiosyncratic lyrics. Even Morgan hankering to watch The xx, who are playing at the same time, adds an unexpected area of empathy.
Ending with an ethereal version of Bruce Springsteen's Dancing in the Dark that's almost unrecognisable from the original, just to reiterate their uniqueness, it's a triumphant performance indeed.
In three words: Pretty darn magical
If you like this, go see: Birdy
