Written by Ana Lete
Originally published in September 2014 issue of The Coyote.
Amelia Meath (left) and Nick Sanborn (right)
Sometimes the opening act disappoints you. Sometimes the opening act surprises you. And sometimes the opening act shocks and awes you—leaving you not only wanting to buy their self-titled album as soon as you get home, but also leaving you just wishing to relive those moments of musical discovery—with the fresh sound hitting your ear drums— the physical vibrations from the speakers filling your chest—and the warm feelings radiating from your heart to your entire body—over and over again.
May 26th, 2014 brought the Tune-Yards—in all their glory—to Boise’s Knitting Factory, but with the Tune-Yards came the surprise opener—a little-known duo from Durham, North Carolina by the name of Sylvan Esso.
The premise of Sylvan Esso is simple: a two person band with Amelia Meath singing soulfully and dancing like no one is watching, and with Nick Sanborn controlling the electronic part of the mix on a Mac and grooving to his music—you guessed it—like no one is watching. Live, these two seem as if they are there to impress no one but themselves. Sanborn comes out on stage wearing the T-shirt and jeans combo, while Meath comes on stage with her hair up wearing a tank top, tights, and a headband. But once onstage, they dance and perform every one of their songs with the passion and energy found in an opening night performance.
During their performance at the Knitting Factory, Sylvan Esso sang songs mainly from their self-titled album, Sylvan Esso, which released in the United States on May 13th, 2014. In Sylvan Esso (2014), Meath’s vocals often have a soulful vibe to them, yet at certain times in this album, they also have a light jazzy quality to them when she lets her vibrato shine through. However, Meath’s vocals are only half of the equation that makes Sylvan Esso work. Without the electronic musical soundscapes that Nick Sanborn creates, Meath might just be another indie singer with a unique voice. What is so captivating about Sylvan Esso is the conversation that occurs between Meath and Sanborn both onstage and on their record. There are times throughout this album where Meath will sing and Sanborn will respond with the perfect electronic effect. The track, “Coffee,” contains a good example of this when Sanborn introduces a series of chimes to fill the gaps when Meath is not singing.
Overall, losing yourself when listening to Sylvan Esso (2014) is all too easy. The vast majority of this album is catchy, memorable, and does not grow tired with repeated listens. However, there is always one exception. The only track on this album that seems a little dull and worthy of skipping after a few listens is the fourth track, “Wolves,” due to the sleepy repetition and slower tempo of the track. But for the most part, you can’t go wrong with the tracks “Coffee,” “Dress,” “Hey Mami,” “Dreamy Bruises,” and “H.S.K.T.” In short, whether you prefer to go new school and push play on your mp3 player/cell phone, or whether you prefer to go old school and put the record on and watch it spin— put on some headphones and let Sylvan Esso take you away.
Music Journalism 