Sylvie - An Electric Trace
by Adrian Huggins
published: 22 / 1 / 2006

Label:
Smallman Records
Format: CD
intro
Carefully crafted, superior post punk rock on second album from Sylvie, whoc come from Regina in Saskatchewan, Canada
Sylvie originate from Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. Not a huge city, and one that most people from outside of Canada, or even the province, may not have heard of, but it is a city that has produced a number of note worthy musicians and bands, and Sylvie are firmly established under this category. 'An Electric Trace' is Sylvie’s second album. Their first album, 'I Wish I Was Driving' was nominated at the Western Canadian music awards for “Outstanding independent album of the year” and those Western Canadians were surely onto something. Sylvie’s sound has a flavour of the post-punk and post-hardcore music, that most bands with an ounce of talent seem to get lumped in as. This basically means it is independent music, with a punk or hardcore flavour, but which doesn't sound the same as many other bands. They manage to have intense sounding songs, that draw you in without having to scream at you to keep your attention. Yet they do not dither around or play particularly slow. They do this by the layering of sounds. Within the songs the tunes are all intricately woven together. Then there are the vocals of Singer/guitarist Joel Passmore, who has a wonderful voice, which sounds a bit like Ian Mackaye of Fugazi and Minor Threat would if he had had singing lessons. To keep the layering feeling in many of the songs female bassist, Riva Farrell Racette, sings backing vocals, and the two combined together sound beautiful and fit perfectly with the music on such songs as 'Shopping Isles' and 'Anatomy of a Headline'. Other highlights come in the form of slow burner 'Alert' and the more rockier songs like 'Hit and Run' and 'Common Art'. But the main strength of this album is simply that you really want to just listen to it all and not switch off right until the very end. It is not instantly hook laden like some albums, but succeeds by being so carefully crafted that every sound seems to be crucial. This is a great album from a great band, it is an album similar to that of the latest Thrice album or any of the Fugazi albums. The key being the real depth of the music rather than it just being a straight forward listen. This band are definitely worth checking out.
Track Listing:-
1 Hit & Run2 Common Art
3 What You Find You Leave With
4 Shopping Aisles
5 Syntax
6 An Electric Trace
7 Anatomy of a Headline {media}
8 Rise and Fall
9 Mid Laugh
10 Sequences
11 Alert
12 Small Differences
most viewed articles
current edition
Peter Doherty - Blackheath Halls, Blackheath and Palace Halls, Watford, 18/3/2025 and 21/3/2025Armory Show - Interview with Richard Jobson
Liz Mitchell - Interview
Deb Googe and Cara Tivey - Interview
Lauren Mayberry - Photoscapes
Max Bianco and the BlueHearts - Troubadour, London, 29/3/2025
Garfunkel and Garfunkel Jr. - Interview
Maarten Schiethart - Vinyl Stories
Clive Langer - Interview
Sukie Smith - Interview
most viewed reviews
current edition
Davey Woodward - Mumbo in the JumboNigel Stonier - Wolf Notes
Wings - Venus and Mars
Kate Daisy Grant and Nick Pynn - Songs For The Trees
Only Child - Holy Ghosts
Neil Campbell - The Turnaround
Philip Jeays - Victoria
Darkness - Dreams On Toast
Suzanne Vega - Flying With Angels
Charles Ellsworth - Cosmic Cannon Fodder
Pennyblackmusic Regular Contributors
Adrian Janes
Amanda J. Window
Andrew Twambley
Anthony Dhanendran
Benjamin Howarth
Cila Warncke
Daniel Cressey
Darren Aston
Dastardly
Dave Goodwin
Denzil Watson
Dominic B. Simpson
Eoghan Lyng
Fiona Hutchings
Harry Sherriff
Helen Tipping
Jamie Rowland
John Clarkson
Julie Cruickshank
Kimberly Bright
Lisa Torem
Maarten Schiethart