In the crowded market of indie-folk, it can be difficult for any new artist to stand out. One artist trying to do so is London-based multi-instrumentalist Sylva Faye, who today is premiering her new release, So Still / Make You Rich. The two tracks are something of a departure, bringing electronic elements in alongside a diverse array of organic instrumentation, incorporating vocals, guitar, bass, flute, sax, drums, synth and a shed load of percussion.

So Still is a bright slice of upbeat pop for these wet and windy days, with its bouncing Talking Heads-like guitar lines and breezy saxophones. Lyrically the track seems to detail the differences between the face we show the world and the one we keep hidden and to ourselves, as Sylva sings, “outside we’re humming and inside we’re still, so still”.
Make You Rich is a different animal, using a similar strand of instrumentation, it plays like a reworking of what is possible with this musical set-up. The vocals take on a moodier more melancholic feel, as the folk-tinged backing adds a swell of emotional bite and the saxophones lose their brassy exterior for an undeniably wistful woodwind flavour.
Together these two tracks make for an impressive reminder of how much room to maneuvre and create still exists in the field of popular music. With her best release to date, Sylva Faye stands out from the crowds of songwriters, a huge talent with a very bright future.
So Still / Make You Rich is out today. Click HERE for more information on Sylva Faye.
How lovely. Somewhere between Bombay Bicycle Club and Beatenberg perhaps, but the most beautiful voice leading it all!