In 2019, SOAK's Bridie Monds-Watson let it be known publicly that they were non-binary and that revelation informs the subject matter of their third album “If I Never Know You Like This Again” but has also led to a more loose and raucous sounding album.

Monds-Watson chose the name SOAK as a portmanteau of soul and folk but the new album is the first with a full band and they take full advantage of it with guitar driven, gritty, indie rockers that grapple with identity and the idea of a life of meaning.

Just as Monds-Watson embraces this new identy so too does the band find ways to expand on their rootsy sounding beginnings by adding new sonic layers of amplification while always returning the focus to the unique vocals of their lead singer.

While the album is not a full-on electric re-birth, the contrast that some of the songs deliver makes the point. This is a band that can go anywhere and on “If I Never Know You Like This Again” they often do.

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