Manchester’s Sylvette returns with a new, serene folksy-rock single as they work towards their third album. “Marble Stone” sees the band turn their penchant for hugely complex rock and artistically extravagant arrangements to a 70’s folk-driven piece. The light electric guitar is more akin to a harp at times. It is so light and fluffy. Sylvette’s signature complexity stays with lush string arrangements whilst the brushed percussion skips around playfully. Central to Sylvette’s sound is the impassioned vocals of Charlie who could make you feel all kinds of emotions about your shopping list if he sang it to you. That, combined with the bands’ quirks and need to chameleon their sound for every song means Sylvette are one of my personal favourite bands I’ve discovered in recent years. You are never sure what you’ll get next but you know it’ll be artistically a bit crazy and an emotional rollercoaster.
“Marble Stone” is about using solitude, meditation and nature to detach from grief. “We wanted the song to feel like you’re floating in the middle of a glacial lake where your senses are totally awake but your mind is empty and peaceful. Perhaps in that moment when you are completely detached from the self you are the closest to your loved ones who have passed on.”
You can enjoy the track “Marble Stone” below. Sylvette is also on a short church tour in the UK over the next two weeks, performing reimagined versions of their rock music with a string quartet. It sounds like it’ll be a feast for the ears and the soul. If you can get to Manchester, Bristol or London, you are in luck. Tickets are available on SeeTicket.