Great Music While High: Sylvan Esso

Sometimes just when you think you’ve heard it all, the Universe throws you a miraculous discovery. That was exactly what happened when I saw tUnE-yArDs last night in Denver. Their headlining set was an awesome show unto itself that showed lead singer and songwriter Merrill Garbus’ incredible range and progression as a songwriter and one extremely badass performer.

But what really got my attention was the opening act Sylvan Esso, a duo whose debut LP was just released last week. Their music is an amazing synthesis of many things that made for an incredible show, and their record does the intimacy of their live show justice. Formed barely a year ago by singer Amelia Heath of the mostly a capella Vermont folk act Mountain Man and bassist Nick Sanborn from Megafaun, their songs are both catchy and real in a way that were immediate and impressive.

A simple, yet incredibly effective duo.

Sandborn is responsible for the production, which is both sparse and instantly gratifying in many ways. Amelia’s vocals are the perfect balance for the glitchy and wet electronics, with hooks that simply feel great to listen to. The second half of their debut LP is nearly pitch-perfect. I’m calling it now that “Coffee” is one of the best tracks of the year, with just about every element working towards an incredible end result.

The project originally came together when Sanborn reached out to Mountain Man to see if he could rework their song “Play it Right”, which serves as a highlight of an overly incredible record.

Sylvan Esso is headed for some great things and it was thrilling to see them in such a fresh and totally green state. I highly recommend that anyone who likes great music check out this band immediately.

Check out other posts from Weedist’s Great Music While High series!