Sylvaine returns to her roots.
After four albums and a split that took her and her band across Europe and America, Norwegian-born, American-born multi-instrumentalist Kathrine Shepard now unveils Eg Er Framand, an acoustic EP in which she explores the legends of her adopted homeland on her own.
Although accustomed to Sylvaine‘s music, I was skeptical about this EP. I know the musician likes to perform a few songs on her own during her live shows, but for me, this experience was reserved for softening up live performances before the saturation of her compositions returned. Not being accustomed to Norwegian folk songs, I discovered her clean voice accompanied by a few sounds of guitar, strings, keyboards or percussion, sometimes giving the track a soothing atmosphere, as on Dagsens Auga Sloknar Ut, or on the contrary much darker as on Eg Veit I Himmelrik Ei Borg, whose instrumental part gradually builds up to the final. The NeoFolk touches are a perfect match for her voice, which she sometimes multiplies to create ritualistic choruses such as on Livets Dans, where keyboards are extremely present without drowning us in their warm tones, but it’s in my opinion with Eg Er Framand, the eponymous track, that she delivers her best performance, alternating incredible gentleness with vibrant intensity.
If you’re a fan of Sylvaine‘s universe, you’ll be irrevocably won over. If, however, this is your first contact with her creations, Eg Er Framand will seem very light and gentle, compared with what the musician can usually offer.
75/100