There were many whispers at this year’s Camden Rocks festival concerning who to check out, who’s going to excite the crowd and leave the music-goers salivating for more. One whisper belonged to South Africa’s The SoapGirls, two sisters who are lifelong entertainers. Their music had people talking… or whispering. I’m an eavesdropper so off we went to the black Heart to see them. We couldn’t get in, so stood on the stairwell for a short time.
Moshville Times has their album, Society’s Rejects, created by Sisters Ca (Millie) and Noe (MIE) Debray. “Society Rejects” is the opener, an attention grabber with its f**k you attitude. Taking me like an L7 classic.
This intriguing and mesmerising duo have enticing lyrics that are entertaining. On “Johnny Rotten” and “Party in Hell” their punk/garage sound together with riffs from the grunge era is enjoyable. Five tracks in and they’re showing attitude. In “Party in Hell” a spoken word style creeps in, with a London accent “Hey it’s a party, all those politician wanks, they’re fucking you, and you don’t even give a shit, you know, your kids on crack.”
“Original Sin” is dark compared to the others. It’s heavy with blues fuelled vocals. The SoapGirls are tapping in to a source of vibrant rock. Next a melancholic track, a story of a girl who doesn’t want to be at school, wants to be with her friends, as apparently “Sam’s on Crack”. The story explodes with a “Sam’s on Crack” chant that is really pleasing. I chant, “Grandma take me home, grandma take me home”. It brought out the Nirvana in me.
“You’re gonna choke on your ballsack hahah” is the start to “Break you”. It’s aggressive, they’re certainly two people who don’t take any shit as a guitar blasts in with heavy drumming. This would be good to see them play live in a poetic, rageful mood.
“Bad Bitch” is seductively worrying, they have this knack to pull you in with their clear lyrics, coinciding with a little bit of angst to continue the storytelling.
Being honest I thought fifteen tracks would be two or three songs too much, but it’s not. It’s fun, it’s a brand of storytelling I quite like. Society Rejects is a good introduction to the SoapGirls. If you’ve never heard them, or, like me heard them from the stairwell of the black Heart at this year’s Camden Rocks Festival, then go and check them out on their UK and Ireland tour.
Header image by Gary Cooper.
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