Sylvaine – Silent Chamber, Noisy Heart (2014)

Hailing from Norway/France, today we have female multi-instrumentalist Sylvaine. Delivering her debut release titled “Silent Chamber, Noisy Heart”, this one-woman outfit crafts very melancholic and atmospheric post-rock with some alternative rock and even metal elements. Featuring ten tracks, this debut release will greatly appeal to fans of The Gathering, Les Discrets, Alcest, and similar atmospheric outfits.

After the mood-setting intro, “It Rains in My Heart” quickly sets a Shoegazy vibe with some Alcest like riffs and quickly morphs into a very bleak and melancholic tune with Sylvaine’s excellent vocals. The song is quite haunting and reminds us a bit of bands like Shellyz Raven and Elbereth. There are also some pretty harsh vocals also provided by the band’s only member, giving this track an extra kick. With “Silent Chamber, Noisy Heart”, we have a full-on Les Discrets style tune that is quite enjoyable and relaxing.

Moving into a catchier and more alternative sound, “Tocka” is quite a nice change of pace from the first few tracks. The Alcest influences are clearer than day on the dreamy “Bien Loin D'ici”. In general, the music is quite well crafted and the overall sense of melody underneath the dreamy/ethereal passages is quite enjoyable, showing how talented Sylvaine really is. While the influences of the artists we have mentioned before is extremely present, she still manages to add her own uniqueness into the mix via her sultry and angelic voice in songs like “The Biggest Loss of All” and “Dysphoria”.

Closing with the playful tracks “I Drink In Every Sob Like Wine” and “A Laugh In a Sea of Sorrow”, this release will surely satisfy your craving for Shoegazy atmospheric music. There are many well defined influences, but there is still a truly unique and unified sound to emerge from Sylvaine. Her talents are plenty and they are greatly showcased in this release, but only the future will show how she evolves and carves her path between the bands that have influenced her.

Label: Self-Released

Release:November 14th, 2014

Genre: Alternative/Atmospheric Rock / Shoegaze

Country: Norway / France