Sylvaine – Wistful (2016)

Continuing her highly atmospheric and dreamy musical direction, today we have one-woman outfit Sylvaine and her sophomore release “Wistful”. With a style similar to a mellower Alcest and Les Discrets, we are completely intoxicated by the fragile nature of the songs presented in this release. Instantly enchanting the listener like the mythological chant of a siren, Sylvaine will captivate you with this release.

Opening with the 10-minute “Delusions”, the mood is perfectly set with the opening folky vocal section, reminding us of Kari Rueslåtten in her early days. The song quickly progresses into more familiar territories with dreamy guitars and intense atmospherics bringing memories of Alcest’s “Les Voyages de l'âme”. Showcasing some ethereal shoegaze and dream-pop influences, “Earthbound” provides an interesting contrast between angelic clean vocals and hash Black Metal screams, both performed by Sylvaine herself.

The album continues with the somber tracks “A Ghost Trapped in Limbo” and “Saudade”, both filled with haunting vocal melodies and Post-Rock/Shoegazy guitars. Another personal favorite track is “In the Wake of Moments Passed By” and its excellent vocal layering, perfectly fitting the distorted guitars and overall slow pace of the track. Changing the tempo a bit, the folksy “Like a Moth to a Flame” continues the dreamy atmospheric nature of this release.

Closing with the emotive “Wistful”, Sylvaine has managed to focus her influences and crafted a sound that is more consistent than in her debut release. Filled with brilliant shoegazy atmospheric moments, this album is certainly going to catch the attention of all Blackgaze fans that have a knack for female vocals. While some people might be put off by the similarities with Alcest/ Amesoeurs, we on the other hand love music like this and so will you.

Label: Season of Mist

Release: May 13th, 2016

Genre: Shoegaze / Post-Metal / Post-Rock

Country: Norway