★★★★☆
Break-up albums are a weird entity. On the evidence of this record, Sister Jane sound as vital as ever, and yet it’s an artefact from a band that has long since seen the writing on the wall and parted ways.
The account left by the band on its Facebook page as to how this undoing came about is ambiguous at best – citing a life-changing experience and final parting words at a bowling alley in Strathfield. Yes, Sister Jane are no more – but they have thankfully provided us with one last hurrah.
They leave with a bang, to be sure. Frontier covers a lot of ground – propulsive Krautrock on ‘Whole Wide World’, a groove on ‘The Farmer’ that fondly recalls Steely Dan, and on opener ‘Road To Evil’, vocalist Dan Davey is able to oscillate between a pleasant, muted vocal and one that makes you want to pass him a glass of water through the stereo.
As final albums often do, this record essentially exists as a time capsule. Some post-break-up albums can feel like a bizarre communication from a band that has since become ghosts.
But a record as red-blooded as Frontier captures Sister Jane at the top of their game.
Sister Jane’sFrontieris released through Broken Stone/Remote Control.
