There’s long been a kind of on-again, off-again situation going on with London’s Sister Wanzala, the sibling trio prone to long hiatus and triumphant returns. Released after a three-year silence in 2022, singles ‘Perfume‘ and ‘Top Drawer‘ had us celebrating a new era for the band only for them to back away as quickly as they reappeared. “The return was a false dawn, Sister Wanzala retreated into their shells again,” we wrote in October, “only… what’s that? A new track, two years later? Another self-deprecating press release declaring their career a failure and promising more of the same?”
That’s right, fast-forward another three years and Sister Wanzala had popped up with another single out of the blue. “You’ll understand if we don’t call ‘Now You’re Mine’ anything more than another small blip in might otherwise be a pristine half-decade of silence,” we continued, “but as soon as the jazzy opening unfurls with all its nineties daytime TV swagger and the cold groove settles with effortless cool, you’ll be glad you got anything from the project, no matter how alluring and brief.”
In an age of deluxe reissues, anniversary re-releases and a general clawing for constant attention, there’s something more than a little endearing about this style. Sister Wanzala are a rare thing in today’s ecosystem, a band who only say something when they have something new to say. Luckily for us, they have a bit more to say this time, not least with latest single ‘Winter Dominos’. Another track that’s as intent on getting you crying as it is (slow) dancing. This is a song which walks that delicate line between heartbreak and romance, all delivered with a smooth confidence that revels in the nostalgia and longing.
‘Winter Dominos’ is out now and available from the usual places.
Artwork by Joe Gamble