Folk/Review Steel & Velvet - People Just Float
Steel & Velvet is a folk-rock group born, in 2021, from the friendship of Johann Le Roux (vocals) and Romuald Ballet-Baz (guitar), Breton musicians who both followed a solid classical training. Soon joined by another guitarist friend (also Breton), Jean-Alain Larreur, more rooted in blues-rock, they offer a collection of songs recorded in a spirit similar to that of Johnny Cash’s "American Recordings."
With “People Just Float,” Steel & Velvet return not only with a new EP but with a fully realized narrative experience, expanding the introspective world they introduced on “Waiting for Some Warmth.” This six-track cover collection weaves together songs by Robbie Basho, Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, Pixies, Nirvana, Peter Ivers, and even David Lynch, yet the duo’s artistic fingerprint is so distinct that each piece feels reborn within their sonic universe.
Framed around the quiet, cinematic tale of Joshua — a solitary man in a cabin whose life shifts after encountering a terrified woman in the forest — the EP unfolds like a folk novella. The song choices reflect the emotional arc of this encounter: mystery, fear, connection, vulnerability, and the fragile hope that emerges when two haunted souls collide. Steel & Velvet use these iconic works not as museum pieces but as narrative tools, reshaping them into a cohesive storyline.
Their trademark stripped-down acoustic arrangements give the covers a raw, intimate immediacy. The minimalist production puts breath, wood, and string front and center, allowing each song to resonate with quiet power. It’s less about replication and more about revelation — finding new emotional corners within familiar melodies.
A standout new element is the inclusion of Jade, Johann Le Roux’s daughter, whose vocals appear on two tracks. Her presence adds a youthful shimmer that lifts the EP’s mood, offering a subtle contrast to its otherwise contemplative tone.
“People Just Float” is thoughtful, artful, and deeply human — a cover EP that transcends tribute to become something uniquely its own.