“Sister" is the eight-minute centerpiece and third single from indie-folk singer-songwriter's Angel Olsen forthcoming album My Woman, which, as Pitchfork's Jillian Mapes notes, heavily features Olsen's "storytelling trademark of resiliency in the face of futility". Unlike the poppier sound of the first two singles ("The Intern" and "Shut Up and Kiss Me") is decidedly slower-paced, more contemplative and more open-ended: "an indolent front-porch jam ...a long, deeply satisfying exhale" (James Rettig, Stereogum).
The song features Olsen's trademark crystal-clear vocals, which are dually tinged with a weary maturity and a youthful optimism as she sings (somewhat cryptically) about her fears, desires, hopes, and uncertainties:
I saw it in her eyesAll it wasn't what she saidShe came together like a dreamThat I didn't know I hadFrom the sleeping life I leadAll the colours I've seenI can't help but recognizeThe brighter one in front of meOh the truth I thought I learnedAnd then it finally came alongTurned around and then it's thereAll the love I thought was gone
Lyrics: Songlyrics.com
Olsen's captivating vocals and impactful lyricism are evenly matched by guitarist Stewart Bronaugh, who begins with an unhurried, tentative strumming - and then slowly builds up to the song's crescendo of self-awareness. The accompanying music video makes for a brilliant visual accompaniment to the song, and features careful cinematography by Olsen and Conor Hagen:
“'Sister’ addresses conflict within and then moves beyond it. The song is lyrically contradictory, so we wanted to show those opposing dualities. The contrast between a wide shot and a close-up, the duality between the city and that natural world, joy and melancholy.”
Conor Hagen, American Songwriter
