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Feb 5, 2021Despite subtle shifts in arrangements, the songs of Good Woman share a certain world-weariness that's balanced with a refreshing self-assurance that -- like the sisters' elegant, blended vocal harmonies -- never loses its composure.
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Feb 4, 2021These thirteen tracks, detailing joys and sorrows, love and loss, indicate that The Staves are as vital as ever.
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Feb 4, 2021After such a long time away, ‘Good Woman’ finds The Staves rejuvenated and inspired, treading new ground while retaining the identity that made them so loveable in the first place. For all the trials bestowed upon the trio in the past few years, they emerge positive and victorious, changing and creating music on their own terms as echoed on closer ‘Waiting On Me To Change.’
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Feb 4, 2021While Good Woman is not the most notable stop on the Staves' journey, it retains all of their most delectable elements — heart-hitting harmonies, lovely melodies, and moments of lyrical spark — that have come to define their work.
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MojoFeb 4, 2021The sister have turned that pain and drama into this elegantly nuanced third album. [Mar 2021, p.86]
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Feb 5, 2021What keeps you coming back to Good Woman is a sense of hope and optimism that shines through – that sense that, despite the grief and pain, there’s always better times ahead. Maybe it’s exactly the sort of record we all need in these times, and it certainly contributes towards this being the best Staves album of their career to date.
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Feb 4, 2021Soulful but never morose, and thoughtful on the passing of time and the importance of cherishing these tiny moments, it’s a sophisticated return to form.
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Feb 5, 2021While their quiet folk songs are not a thing of the past, Good Woman benefits from the poppier textures and shiny new grooves implemented with help from Congleton.
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Feb 8, 2021The Staves manage to overcome Congleton's production and mixing tics because their voices can cut through anything. ... It’s heartening to hear them turn their attention inward; maybe next time, they’ll trust that sound to do its work without the input—or intrusions—from a collaborator.
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Feb 5, 2021Whatever primness remains, Good Woman proves the Staves now slot effortlessly into that roster of intelligent, interesting artists, interrogating life, love and womanhood on their own distinctive terms.
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Feb 4, 2021Though it could stand to sound more consistent throughout (at times The Staves sound like they’re throwing that proverbial spaghetti against the wall), Good Woman successfully demonstrates that even through life’s lessons and uncomfortable liminal states, family is the most stabilising force.
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Feb 4, 2021Their love for their art is evident. When their voices come together, it is pure magic.
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UncutFeb 4, 2021Picks up where 2015's Justin Vernon-helmed If I Was Left Off, as their three-part blood harmonies form the shimmering centre of an elaborate, album-long soundscape. [Mar 2021, p.37]
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Feb 9, 2021All in all, The Staves have once again succeeded in enchanting listeners with a unique ethereal euphoria that remains unmatched. Good Woman may be a little different than the band’s previous works, but it reinforces what makes them so special in a marvelous way.
User score distribution:
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Positive: 8 out of 8
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Mixed: 0 out of 8
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Negative: 0 out of 8
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Jul 4, 2021an excellent body of work, my first contact with the staves and it was a very pleasant experience.
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Feb 23, 2021