Sky Valley Mistress – Acoustic Sessions EP

It’s been a while since I’ve had chance to review any new material by Sky Valley Mistress as it’s just over year since I did a piece for their stunning debut studio album Faithless Rituals.

So fast forward to 2021 for their four track Acoustic Sessions EP. It’s the first release from a forthcoming series of compilations from New Heavy Sounds to celebrate their ten year anniversary and have progressed to signing their own bands, one of which is Sky Valley Mistress.

These four tracks are taken from said album, recorded before the 2020 lockdown and remastered for this release. These stripped down tracks highlight the power in their songs without all the bombast behind them, especially the Siren like delivery of Kayley ‘Hellcat’ Davies, with a voice as enchanting as the Greek mythological creatures.

‘You Got Nothin’ is more bitter than the album version by far. A quaint gently picked intro is a brief moment of calm before a lush vocal precedes a resonating keyboard throb to increase the scare factor. Catchy tambourine slaps herald a vehement vocal tirade as Kayley effortlessly hits her stride for a hate fuelled outro.

I strangely got a Motown vibe throughout ‘Skull And Pistons’ musically and vocally as Kayley comes across as a Detroit version of Janis Joplin. Once again a potent use of electronica adds beautiful musical colours.

Soul drips sweetly in ‘It Won’t Stop’ like the honey from a thousand beehives. It’s a real heart melter as keys take centre stage for some sumptuous accompaniament to a drawled vocal that will make you shiver from head to toe. A brief acoustic guitar solo heralds inhuman howls that raise the bar even higher.

Final track ‘She Is So’ is the most off the wall track here. It’s pulse weirdly enough is like the intro for ‘Live Wire’ by AC/DC. The song grooves along threatening to break free from its shackles and finally leaves the eerie scene to let Kayley let rip for an astonishingly cathartic outro as it finally lets you go on an acoustic guitar whisper!

The EP comes in two formats. It’s available in digital for £3.50 or a CD for £5.00 that comes in a bespoke die cut New Heavy Sounds house style tenth anniversary digipack that are very very limited to 150 copies. I’ve just bought one leaving only three more so don’t leave it too late!

Band links including purchase links for the EP are here :- https://skyvalleymistress.bandcamp.com/album/acoustic-session-e-p ………..https://smarturl.it/SVM-FR-Acoustic-EP …………http://skyvalleymistress.com…………..https://www.facebook.com/skyvalleymistress …………https://amazon.co.uk/Acoustic-Sessions-EP-Sky-Valley-Mistress/dp/B08WYLLVKH/?tag=plane09-21

Acoustic Sessions EP track listing :-

You Got Nothin.

Skull And Pistons.

It Won’t Stop.

She Is So.

Sky Valley Mistress band line up :-

Kayley ‘Hellcat’ Davies – Vocals.

Sean ‘Starskey’ Berry – Guitar.

Russell ‘Russell’ Russell – Bass Guitar.

Maxwell Harvey William Newsome III – Drums/Percussion.