Sylvarluxe
Viva
Skymir

This duo consists of Richard and Katy. Together they record truly cosmopolitan music. Opener "Viva" is a lush-sounding song that somehow recalls an updated Grace Jones, all angular grace and danger. "Good Morning Midnight" sees Katy singing of nightclub ennui in a way Bryan Ferry would applaud. "Slow Motion" is breathlessly slow and sees Richard singing of a disjointed affair in a soft voice. "The Tragic Death of a French Rock'n'Roll Star" is pithy and reminiscent of Serge Gainsbourg. "He was found naked, sprawled out on a fur rug, a cigarette dangling from his lips" they sing. I'm not sure if the image is meant to evoke the great songwriter's demise, but it seems that way.

This record is as beautiful and oddly glacial as a supermodel. If you look closer, the human face, scars and foibles starts to peer out. By singing so much of glamour, Sylvarluxe both fascinate and alienate. They recall old Roxy Music in this way, and seem just as keen on the romance of the unobtainable, and just as capable of shedding tears that smudge the mascara.

Copyright © 2006 Anna Maria Stjärnell