Live Review: Oracle Sisters at YES Basement

Written by Tapasya Sahu

Two things are clear about Oracle Sisters: they love what they do, and they do it well. Following the release of their debut album Hydranism, the Paris-based trio kicked off their tour with their first ever headline show in Manchester, bringing their feel-good groove to a sold-out basement at YES.

The crowd seems to be a mix of those who are already big fans and others who are less familiar, but the room is buzzing with anticipation having been warmed up by support Ryder The Eagle. It hits 9:15, and the band dive straight into the lush harmonies of the album’s opener, ‘Tramp Like You’, followed by the Mac DeMarco-esque ‘The Dandelion’, quickly winning over the unacquainted – each song results in a huge cheer.

Hailing from all over – Paris, Northern Ireland and Finland – Oracle Sisters’ sound is as eclectic as themselves. Blending funky guitar riffs with dreamy folk numbers, the group command the stage with an effortlessly cool energy, proving they have no trouble navigating these different styles and influences. Their 60-minute set combines new tracks from the album with older material, showing off the creative breadth of their budding discography.

Next is the folk-inspired ‘Who Knows Where The Time Goes’, which all three wrote together. It begins softly with their signature three-part harmony but gradually builds towards a fun psychedelic bridge. Their musical ability is most apparent when it comes to these breakdowns, which are a frequent feature of their music. Guitarists Chris and Lewis seamlessly glide through riffs balanced by Julia’s dependable drumming, and the result is truly more than the sum of its parts.

Undoubtedly Oracle Sisters’ most popular track is the Parcels-esque ‘Asc. Scorpio’. Lewis asks when everyone first heard the song, with answers ranging from “2 years ago” to “tonight”, and its contagious energy has fans old and new all dancing together. The more melancholic ‘Hot Summer’ provides a change of pace, somewhat reminiscent of Father John Misty, yet proves to be another crowd favourite. During its bridge, Ryder The Eagle returns to the stage for a jazzy saxophone solo in what is a definite highlight of the show.

Julia then takes to the mic for the whimsical ‘High Moon’, asking “are you ready to relax?”. “No!”, someone jokingly shouts. But the band’s switch from upbeat to mellow is smooth enough to not be jarring, and Julia’s vocals shine on the stripped-back track. Chris takes her place on the drums, once again proving their ability to flow between different moving parts with ease. From instruments to genres to locations, nothing about this band can be pinned down.

The trio spent much of the pandemic on the remote Greek island of Hydra, where they wrote the album (and which inspired its name, Hydranism). Sharing an anecdote about their creative process, Lewis explains the song ‘Captain America’ to have come from a conversation about the American highway and where it leads (“to purgatory”, he says). From the harmonica-infused Americana track, Oracle Sisters swiftly transition into ‘I Don’t Wanna Move’, an old-timey folk ballad that wouldn’t sound out of place in The Beatles’ discography, and has us all swaying and clapping along.

They close the set with two of the album’s standout tracks, ‘Cigale Song’ and ‘RBH’, ending on a high with their infectious summery sound. They restart ‘RBH’ as Chris misses his cue, but he plays it off humorously, teasing Simon (their touring bassist) that he didn’t study music like him. The band’s interactions with the crowd and each other are fairly sporadic, but in a way that comes across as endearing rather than cold. It’s clear that they’re genuinely good friends who love playing music together, and don’t need to ramp up the bravado in order to get our attention or prove themselves.

There’s something inherently nostalgic and almost otherworldly about Oracle Sisters’ sound, which the intimate setting of YES’ basement leant itself well to. But make no mistake, it won’t be long before they move on to bigger things… this is definitely a band to watch.