Sylvan Esso
Some albums just hit their mark. The collaboration of singer Amelia Meath (Mountain Man) and producer Nick Sanborn (Megafaun/Decibully/Made of Oak), Sylvan Esso has been turning heads since last year with their early singles, earning the good graces of quite a few respected critics. With their new self-titled debut they've more than followed through on that early promise.
"Taut and tantalizing, the 10 songs on the pair's debut have countless different ways of grabbing and inviting attention; they wobble, seethe and coo with charismatic ambivalence," writes Stephen Thompson for NPR, which is streaming the record ahead of its official release next week. That's a particularly descriptive way of saying this album just sounds good. This is one of those records nearly everybody who hears it will fall in love with on first listen.
Sylvan Esso is streaming for the next week at NPR. It's out May 13 through Partisan Records.
Update: The album is now streaming through Spotify.