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Syd Arthur’s second album Sound Mirror is a lustrous piece of self-produced craftsmanship, mixed by Grammy-winner Tom Elmhirst (Arcade Fire / Amy Winehouse).
From the opening, ‘Garden of Time’, it possesses strong echoes of Tame Impala with its flowing harmonies and adept musicianship. It succinctly ties in 60s / 70s sounds with a fusion of early Pink Floyd ambience.
Other tracks seem to allude to a band that have taken strong influence from My Bloody Valentine, but with an English whimsical charm. So, it is no surprise that Paul Weller appreciates the band.
Not only does the music seem authentic, the lyrics feel as if they’ve come from somewhere profound. The band manage to accomplish what many new artists have been struggling with – they have sewn synths well into the wider sound and even string arrangements, as in ‘What’s Your Secret’, without sounding contrived.
As the album develops, a Supergrass inspiration becomes more and more prevalent. What’s more, ‘Sound Mirror’ is the kind of record that makes you want to invest in the vinyl. In fact, Syd Arthur, with their continuous touring, are a band you just want to succeed.
Up until track six, ‘Forevermore’, it seems Arthur have created a great formula and decided to stick to it, which is not a criticism, due to the exceptional quality. This blueprint does, however, change with ‘Backwardstepping’, an acoustic, folky number. Another unexpected turn is the progressive rock, guitar heavy instrumental ‘Singularity’.
Overall, in ‘Sound Mirror’, Syd Arthur offer more musicianship and authenticity than the preponderance of prevailing artists.
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