Forging away towards their third album are Manchester based classical art-rock band Sylvette. This is a band without a musical hair out of place ever. Hahaha, in person the band are pretty smart too.

I love Sylvette for the way they weave emotions and feelings into their songs. I just don’t know how they come up with the concepts, and then produce them so the tune just fit the theme perfectly – it is a total magical mystery to me. I’d love to see the rejected ideas sometime. Besides, a band that manages to fit the word tremolite into a song has to be worth getting into, yes?

Marble Stone is the launchpad debut track for that third album. and it’s a beautifully time stands still moment. This is a smooth operator of a track which is really based upon deep meditation, where you close off all of your senses to hone in on a memory and a relationship with a lost one. In the music I completely get the feel the band are aiming for; to be floating in a glacier lake. You are filled with the sensation and your mind is just free to wander. Given I am a man completely afraid of open water swimming and I hate the cold, I am a particularly harsh test for this particular vibe. Dear reader, it floats, I float. No armbands needed here.

In terms of Marble Stone, this is a very elegant structure, one to wonder how the layers were formed, which one was first, and which ones adds texture and depth. With the harmonies there is a almost a barber shop quartet feel, but here the vocals of Charlie Sinclair feel warm and enveloping. They do say in the latter stages of hypothermia you feel hot, and this is some proof.

It’s not all smooth as there are some spiky little edges to the notes in the song, just little blurred distortions, and slightly harsh strings. This is smooth, soothing, but you know what? there are fish nibbling just around the edges just to remind you that you are alive. In style, the song is polished and with a heavy addition of strings the music has an almost classical air.

Sylvette are a band who know their own minds and it always feels that their music is pure. This track feels like another twist to their art rock sound, and is well worth an explore. On this showing I’m excited for the album, and there will no doubt be a chance to snag a listen to music old and new at the band’s next live gigs, set in Church venues. It’s going to be special with a full string quartet. Manchester is on 31 March, Bristol 2nd April and London on 4th April. Rush along as tickets are running low.

Chris R

* images taken from the band’s social media