Sylvan Esso exceeds expectations with Free Love

Sylvan Esso are an indie-pop duo from Durham, North Carolina. The group consists of vocalist Amelia Meath and producer Nick Sanborn. On their third album “Free Love” they continue doing what they do best: making enamoring pop songs that often contain a deeper meaning. A friend introduced me to Sylvan Esso a few years ago, and I was blown away by the synergy between Meath’s soothing voice and Sanborn’s boisterous production.

“Free Love” feels more personal than their previous albums, in part because the album is riddled with studio dialogue. Though subtle, it adds a warm and inviting feel to album by allowing the listener to hear fragments of the album’s creation.

The album begins with the track “What if,” which gives the album a serious opening.

“I’m so overwhelmed by the destruction of the world and the destruction of the things that I love. But I know that I must keep going,” Meth said, explaining the track.

Though this track has a sobering tone, it serves a purpose by bolstering the albums themes of anxiety, love and growth.

The following track is “Ring” which, in my opinion, is one of the best songs in Sylvan Esso’s discography. It intertwines the topics of tinnitus, life on tour and commitment through Meath’s clever writing. The chorus is very simple, though it touches on all of these subjects adequately. Another highlight of this track is the bridge, which looks at how we balance following and leading in our lives.

“Ferris Wheel” maintains the poppy ambiance of the album and tells a story about awkward teenage romance.

“Sometimes it’s scary, sometimes it’s fun. It’s such a weird and strange time in young people’s lives that we just don’t talk about,” Meath said about the track.

Part of what makes this track exceptional is that the vocals and production never overpower each other, which is a common pitfall of synth-pop music.

The most tranquil track on the album is “Free,” which serves as the project’s focal point. It’s about accepting that people will love you based on how they perceive you, and how we don’t have any control over that. The idea for this song came to Meath when fans approached her with an idealized image of who she was in their mind, and how that would impact her interactions with them.

“Runaway” is a song that materialized from the nervousness that Sylvan Esso had while touring in the wake of the Las Vegas shooting and the bombing of Ariana Grande’s concert. The production feels disorienting, and Meath’s vocals are enveloped in chaos as she sings calmly about escaping from a violent attack. Though the subject matter is very dark, the track maintains an upbeat sound, making it reminiscent of Foster the People’s 2011 hit “Pumped Up Kicks.” On my first listen, I didn’t even realize how intense the song’s lyrics were because I was distracted by the production and infectious chorus.

The album finishes strong with the nostalgic track “Rooftop Dancing,” that seeks to encapsulate the feeling of New York City in the summertime, and “Make It Easy,” which starts off very barebones, but picks up intensity before eventually cascading into the conclusion of the album.

The last thing we hear is Meath exclaiming “cool” after recording some vocals.

The only thing that I disliked about “Free Love” is that it had to come to an end. The album feels much longer than its 29-minute runtime, due to how cohesive it is. Even the tracks I wasn’t totally in love still had great production and vocals to get lost within. I hadn’t expected the project to improve upon their previous album “What Now,” but I was pleasantly surprised.

I’d recommend “Free Love” to fans of synth pop and indie music, and I think that all of the group’s projects are worth checking out.