Sylph’: Music That Breathes with Light and Calm

Instantly, it becomes clear that ‘Sylph’, the new EP from Hilgrove Kenrick and Nick Norton-Smith, is a well-thought record with a big personality. The new age-meets-contemporary-classical record for soprano saxophone and orchestra with “hints of synths” has this quality of being new and ancient at the same time. Recorded in live in London and mixed with care and precision in Worcestershire, ‘Sylph’ is the perfect soundtrack for either focusing or winding down as its bright sound feels both warm and clear. Both artists have years of experience performing in films, on television, and on the stage, and with the music of ‘Sylph’, it’s clear to see that the arrangements and songs were composed and improvised with great care and love.

The first track, which the record shares its name with, “Sylph” is bright and light. Your ear is entranced by the ebb and flow of the song. The saxophone sits over the top of the wispy orchestra in a way that feels as though it is guiding the listener through the air and the light. “Nymph” is a little more playful than “Sylph” and manages to walk a line between being jaunty and irreverent and simply maintaining the mood of calm, bright, positivity. “Salamander” is the darker of the two and it works to create a feeling of being deep and full. The instrumentation here is layered and meatier than the other songs on the EP and it holds this potency that is slow-burning but palpable. It stands out to me on the record for this alone. The final song “Undine” on the EP is a quieter entry in the album but feels somehow more conclusive. There is a rippling feeling throughout the song. A fluidity of motion that gives the piece a different kind of feeling of brightness. The movement of this song gives this record a finish that feels full.

‘Sylph’ is a striking record. Though each song is very much its own, the movement of moods and characters within each one is unified by the overall tone of the record. ‘Sylph’ sounds distinct and interesting while feeling cohesive. Hilgrove Kenrick and Nick Norton-Smith display on ‘Sylph’ how mastery can work to create expressive music without feeling pretentious and how thoughtfulness can be a direct antecedent of the kind of music that allows the listener to breath.