There’s a lot to be said about the potential of a band’s future when one of the most illustrious festivals in the country forms a record label for the sole purpose of releasing their debut single. Forever endowed with the pleasure of being the first band released on End of the Road Records, Modern Woman have hit a home run on their first release, ‘Offerings’.
As London’s ever-expanding pool of forward-thinking artists gets harder to overlook by the minute, it’s hardly surprising that acts like Modern Woman are able to have hit the ground running after just a handful of spellbinding live appearances. The band’s ability to glide between genres seems effortless as they manage to showcase folkish melodies as well as they do art-punk noise freakouts – as though the band were asked to deliver on the brief ‘if PJ Harvey fronted This Heat’.
In spite of vocalist Sophie Harris’ gentle croon, there is an underlying sinister feeling to the song, aided by the lurching detuned violins that underpin the verses and the bass harmonics that plink through the background. The subject matter veers towards the morbid too, playing with themes of voyeurism and cult-like worship, culminating in a dark yet transfixing result.
It almost feels glib to heap praise on a band that have less than four minutes of music available to listen to, but there’s something quite captivating about what this ‘Offering’ has gifted us. Who is to know what the future holds for Modern Woman, but whatever is to come next is sure to hold as many twists and turns.
Words: Reuben Cross // Photo: Alex Stephen Thurston
Modern Woman’s ‘Offerings’ is out now via End of the Road Records. Stream and purchase the song via Bandcamp.