CD Review: Sister Sadie – All Will Be Well
By Jaycee Lynne for Country Music News International Magazine
The remarkable female powerhouse group: Sister Sadie is back with all new music. If you’re not already a fan of this group, the only questions are: where have you been and what else have you been listening to instead? The GRAMMY nominated group with multiple IBMA awards formed back in 2012 out of a desire to have fun playing with fellow friends and accomplished FEMALE musicians. Sister Sadie is a mix of Bluegrass, Americana, and Country music. They blend pieces of all of those familiar genres but present in a way that is new and fresh.
My history with the band stems from a studio project of my own. I was recording a song and my producer brought in someone he referred to as a “powerhouse” to knock out a pretty crucial mandolin part. Enter Deanie Richardson. Ever since then, I’ve been a fan of Deanie and now am a fan of Sister Sadie. While the make-up of the band has changed since the inception, the dedication to harmonies of precision and musicianship unrivaled. Each member of Sister Sadie is worthy of being front and center, but the respect and talent within the group has them united as one, but always shining independently as well.
The title track, All Will Be Well, brings the instrumentation and detailed harmonies bluegrass is known for, but it bring harmonies so close and pure, the group could be mistaken for the familial harmony of the incredible bluegrass family groups of times past. The homage paid to traditional bluegrass pairs well with the best nuances of the best country music the 90’s had to offer. Gina’s banjo is featured in this song. She starts the song with the strong and intricate backing that adds to the song but is never too much. The second half of the song shifts to a more mandolin driven feature, echoing the banjo in a complimentary way. To bring the song to its completion, the banjo and mandolin join forces.
With the title, Let the Circle Be Broken, most familiar with the old classic by a name very similar would think this new song goes in a very different direction. The new instant classic tells a story of trauma passed down generation to generation, but being the one to ensure that trauma stops with the one singing such powerful lyrics. The texture of Dani’s voice resonates so clearly with the feel and direction the song goes. Deanie’s fiddle throughout the song brings a haunting yet comforting sound that builds and shifts as the song progresses. It gives the true feeling of being haunted by the trauma that the song starts with and gradually changes the mood as Dani’s words change to the sound of accepting and welcoming the change that she would be bringing.
If you listen closely to I Wish it Would Rain, you’ll hear male harmonies from a familiar face and voice. Grand Ole Opry member and star, Steve Earle. His voice adds another layer and texture to the sweet harmonies of Sister Sadie.
Also on the album:
Winnebago: The CD begins with a captivating use of lyrics. “If all good things are wild and free, Lord make me a feather on a Southern breeze.” It is a beautiful story of someone who is never content and always looking for more.
First Time Liar is a song where and acoustic style and vocal take the lead. It brings a steel guitar that really introduces the 90’s country sound.
Make Me Stay or Make Me Go, originally recorded by Jessi Alexander really lets the vocals of Jaelee Roberts shine. The sawing of the fiddle adds another mark for 90’s country.
Devil Don’t Care, showcases the full group harmonies and intricacies of each added vocal layer.
Prodigal Daughter is a song in which the mandolin of Rainy is out front and in focus. Banjo adds fill and a simple kind of complexity that bluegrass is known for.
Do What You Want is a song that adds a bit of attitude in deciding you’re going to buck the old trends and what you’re told to do. The fiddle leads the instrumentation of a song that puts a spin on the classic statement, “damned if you do, damned if you don’t.”
This Is Me is a song the utilizes the madolin, fiddle, and guitar to express the feeling of a broken heart and trying to understand why.
Orphan Train is led by the banjo and speaks the message of one chapter ending to a new one beginning, but Sister Sadie finds a new way to express an age old concept.
If I Don’t Have You is a sweet ballad of brokenness where the vocalist communicates that she will never be whole without the one she loves.
Can’t Let Go of Your Love is toe tapping bluegrass at its finest where fiddle, banjo, and mandolin join together to bring the album to a clear and sweet end.
The album is now available for order from https://www.sistersadieband.com/
Sister Sadie also ventured into vinyl for the first time. What I love and respect so much is that they didn’t just take the incredible album and press it on vinyl, they brought a twist to the pressing. It is titled All Will Be Well (The Originals), as all 9 tracks on the vinyl were written or co-written by members of the group.
Produced by Deanie Richardson, the attention to a modern production that borrows the best from the past in a project that delivers clear and crisp sound and the same level of focus on every part of the songs. I believe I have experienced all the highs and lows of life by listening to this new album, and for that I am grateful. Sister Sadie, comprised of members: Gena Britt (banjo, vocals), Deanie Richardson (fiddle), Jaelee Roberts (guitar, lead vocals, Dani Flowers (guitar, vocals, Rainy Miatke (mandolin, vocals), and last but certainly not least- Katie Blomarz-Kimball (bass, vocals) has an incredible ability to let each member shine as individuals yet unites them as one. Every song on All Will Be Well is full of life and are sure to be loved by anyone who loves good music.