What
do you get when you mix Purity Ring with Fiona Apple? That’s a question most
don’t ask, but Amelia Meath and Nick Sanborn did. And boy was it a question
worth answering.
Amelia
Meath is the frontwoman of Mountain Man (it’s ironic and they’re folk, so you
know they got mad hipster cred), while Nick Sanborn is the bassist for Megafun, a psychedelic folk band.
This
is almost a surprising combination – who would think that folk vocals would
think that folk vocals and electronic music would work so well together? But
Sanborn’s beats are slow, pulsing, match perfectly with Meath’s soaring and
almost mournful vocals that harmonize at just the right moments. The electronic
crescendos are impressive; they both grab your attention and fade into the
background into a deep, pleasant hum. They fade away almost completely at
times, allowing Meath’s voice shine through, before coming in and lifting the
entire song up far past anything each element could do on its own.
“Hey Mami” is a great example of this. The first half of the song sounds like a
recording of a street performer, the din of the city faintly heard in the
background as Meath casually sings. The lyrics are about a sexy girl who is the
object of desire of all the guys in a most likely Hispanic district of New
York, referencing an ass that draws the attention of all the boys she passes
(not actual lyrics, but damn if that’s not a decent line). Her voice is strong
and powerful, heartily belting out lines about bodegas and cat calls. Sanborn
slowly begins adding claps, then bells, before finally coming with distorted
electronics. While Purity Ring tends to aim for the glitchy, fast paced
instrumentals, Sylvan Esso takes their time with more static notes, letting
them linger, letting you absorb the sonic landscape as it gently floats by.
They only exist to make the song bigger and bolder, a selfless act that has
created an amazing piece of art.
So
far, they only have a 2 song EP out, if you can even call it an EP. The vinyl
has both the songs, along with the instrumentals and the accapella, so that’s
cool, if you’re into remixing. You can also get the songs on iTunes and Amazon, if
you’re a filthy casual who may or may not be into remixing
I’m
usually very verbose, as any of my reviews can tell you, but Sylvan Esso has
left me speechless. They don’t have much out right now, but I can see good
things in their future, and I’m awaiting their next release. In the mean time, I'll just have to like this.
