In an increasingly distant world, Sylvan Esso welcomes us into their home and their minds through a coffee table performance of three tracks
Indie duo Sylvan Esso released their third studio album, “Free Love,” back in September. Today we revisit their appearance on NPR’s Tiny Desk (Home) Concert in May, performing three songs from their most recent studio album, “What Now.” Sylvan Esso is the electronic indie pop lovechild of singer Amelia Meath and producer Nick Sanborn. Blend Meath’s buttery, breathy voice with Sanborn’s biting beats, and you get songs that are addictively satisfying and full of personality. Sylvan Esso beautifully balances the vocals and the beats beneath them, never letting one overshadow the other.
The duo opens their concert with “Die Young,” and new listeners are immediately launched into their eccentric sound. The two, seated on their blue couch with dozens of audio contraptions atop a coffee table in front of them, exchange playful glances while nonchalantly performing this song about love rescuing someone from suicide. Meath’s distinctive voice shines through over the layers of beats produced by Sanborn, who nods his head along with her. Each time the beat drops on the chorus, we feel a shift in energy from the two, from comfortable to entranced in song, enjoying one another’s company and their creative product. A distant cousin of the autotuned and edited track on the album, this performance appears vulnerable and even more lovely because of it.
After “Die Young” concludes, Meath introduces the duo coolly, starting the next song, “Rewind,” which is, according to her, “about watching TV, and being a kid.” It is now only Meath in the frame, controlling the beats and backing track on her own. Though this song is slower than the first, Meath still delivers a passionate performance, leaning into the camera as though she’s telling the audience a story. Sanborn enters the frame again, only partially, when he grabs his guitar from the corner. He follows his addition of guitar with a reduction of beats, and Meath accompanies the minimalism of this section, lowering her volume. Though this performance is excellent, Meath and Sanborn’s enchantment with one another is what makes their music alluring, so not seeing them interact during “Rewind” leaves listeners feeling unsatisfied.
Sylvan Esso’s final song, “Radio,” is the most popular track of “What Now” thanks to its danceability and catchy chorus. Quite possibly the most charming moment of this performance is when Sanborn accidentally starts the wrong backing track and Meath smoothly says to the camera, “hold on a second,” while Sanborn prepares the right sounds. She counts him in, putting on a cute British accent and looking lovingly at her husband. The couple reveals their goofy side, grinning and giggling with each other as Meath shows off her dance moves. This track is particularly fun, since both Sanborn and Meath are toying with their parts, building upon one another to see what works and what doesn’t. In a way, this is a glimpse of their creative ingenuity, which feels intimate in a world of finely-tuned final products.