Photo of Oracle Sisters by Ella Hermë.
Oracle Sisters’ has just released their sophomore album Divinations. The Paris-based trio—Julia Johansen, Chris Willatt, and Lewis Lazar—venture into a mystical, dreamlike soundscape, blending elements of psychedelia, rock, and synth-pop. Drawing from influences like Talking Heads, Air, and Leonard Cohen, they create an ethereal atmosphere, rich with poetic lyricism inspired by Baudelaire, Rimbaud, and Carl Jung. The result is an album that feels both otherworldly and deeply introspective.
The opening track, “Riverside,” sets the tone with shimmering, beachy guitar lines that ripple like water, gradually building with soft drums, organ synths, and piano. It captures the warmth of an early summer morning, culminating in a soaring, introspective chorus: “With your mind on its own / Is your silence untold? / With your eye on the road / Does your time take its toll?” Overall, it felt like a grand, perfectly paced opening for Divinations.
The album quickly shifts gears with “Marseille,” a groovy, synth-driven track reminiscent of ‘80s European electro-pop. Playful yet melancholic, it blends twangy, Wild Western-inspired basslines with sultry harmonies, evoking a sense of nostalgia and escapism.
“Alouette,” my personal favorite off the album, leans into more post-punk energy with its static, urgent bassline. It’s coupled with a lead guitar that could’ve come straight out of The Strokes‘ Angles. The song’s chorus paints a surreal, almost mythical image: “Out in the garden / The pirates sing their song / The owls and the artists / And they always sing along.”
“Blue Left Hand” takes a sharp turn into politically charged, ‘80s dance-inspired territory. Funky, desperate, and electric, it channels an angsty, rebellious energy influenced by Silvia Federici’s Caliban and the Witch. The middle of the album continues to explore a wide range of sonic textures. “Velveteen” floats with airy, sweeping guitar tones with instrumentals reminiscent of Cage the Elephant. Meanwhile, “Shotguns” crafts a deep, immersive soundscape with ethereal guitar licks, soft piano, and a hypnotic blend of flutes, electronic textures, and distant howls. The layers of birdsong, static, and laser-like synths make it feel as if the listener is submerged underwater, lost in a sonic dream.
“Rodeo” offers a return to folk-rock warmth, channeling the likes of The Head and the Heart with descending piano progressions and a breezy, golden-hour glow. “Moon on the Water” and “Talk is Cheap” slow things down, embracing the art of a good ballad, with angelic vocals from Johansen and a hushed, lullaby-like quality. The former is a sensual duet wrapped in nighttime melancholy, while the latter pulses like a quiet heartbeat, its dreamlike quality lingering long after it ends.
As the album nears its close, “Banshee” returns to Oracle Sisters’ indie folk roots, featuring warm instrumentals and a wistful, nostalgic melody. Finally, the title track, “Divinations”, serves as the album’s theatrical, psychedelic folk rock finale. “Divinations” lulls you with its layered harmonies and beachy undertones—”It’s all been a dream / In a dream / In a dream / In a dream.” It’s a cinematic fade-out that takes me back to The Rocky Horror Picture Show’s “Rose Tint My World,” where the phrase “Don’t dream it / Be it,” lingers like a mantra, blurring the lines between a reverie and real life.
With Divinations, Oracle Sisters craft a record that is both grounded and transcendent. At times it’s airy and atmospheric, at others urgent and danceable. The album weaves a spell of magic and introspection. It is a bold unfolding—one that feels destined to linger in the listener’s mind like a half-remembered dream. | Margo Lemley
Divinations will be released on CD and vinyl and available to download/stream on Friday, February 14th.
Oracle Sisters on tour:
03.08.25 – Le 106 – Rouen, FR
03.13.25 – L’Épicerie Moderne – Lyon, FR
03.14.25 – Le Rockstore – Montpellier, FR
03.15.25 – El Pumarejo – Barcelona, ES
03.18.25 – Ubu – Rennes, FR
03.19.25 – La Cigale – Paris, FR
03.21.25 – La Vapeur – Dijon, FR
03.22.25 – Rocher de Palmer – Bordeaux, FR
03.24.25 – Sala Copérnico – Madrid, ES
03.25.25 – M.Ou.Co – Porto, PT
03.26.25 – Riquela – Santiago, ES
03.27.25 – Bilborock – Bilbao, ES
03.28.25 – Le Metronum – Toulouse, FR
04.01.25 – XOYO – Birmingham, UK
04.02.25 – KOKO – London, UK
04.03.25 – Band on the Wall – Manchester, UK
04.04.25 – Hangar34 – Liverpool, UK
04.05.25 – G2 – Glasgow, UK
04.06.25 – Button Factory – Dublin, IE
04.08.25 – Thekla – Bristol, UK
04.10.25 – L’Aéronef – Lille, FR
04.11.25 – Doornroosje – Nijmegen, NL
04.12.25 – Paradiso – Amsterdam, NL
04.13.25 – Botanique/Grand Salon – Brussels, BE
04.14.25 – Columbia Theater – Berlin, DE
07.25.25 – Tramlines Festival – Sheffield, UK
