NAD SYLVAN
Monumentata INSIDEOUTMUSIC
The solo album bravely steps away from its creator’s safe space.
As the singer in Steve Hackett’s live band for many years, Nad Sylvan’s located the perfect midpoint between the vocal styles of Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins, while never forsaking his own soulful spin on those tones and timbres. He’s made a challenging gig seem easy. Away from the Genesis Revisited repertoires, his solo work has only hinted at a distinct musical personality. His first few albums remained indebted to his muses, hugging the shore of Genesis. This was no bad thing: the superb Courting The Widow and The Bride Said No offered magical visits to that mother lode, a kind of methadone for those who wish more mid-period Genesis albums existed. And his formative work with Unifaun, bordering on cosplay, was a knowingly reverential treat.