Steel & Velvet - Orphan’s Lament
The latest release by Steel & Velvet, a cover of Robbie Basho’s “Orphan’s Lament,” is a hauntingly beautiful homage to the late guitarist’s spiritual folk legacy. The Breton trio reimagines Basho’s deeply moving composition with their own brand of intimate acoustic artistry, bridging the worlds of classic folk tradition and contemporary authenticity. From the opening bars, the listener is drawn into a landscape of warmth and melancholy, where each note feels like a whispered confession beside a flickering campfire. Johann Le Roux’s intricate baritone vocals control the emotional flow of the track with grace and restraint. His delivery balances the sorrowful undercurrents of the song with a quiet, redemptive strength. Complementing this are Romuald Ballet-Baz whose subtle expressive fingerstyle guitar playing weaves delicate layers of melody and texture. The production embraces a carefully crafted stereo field, giving every plucked string and vocal nuance space to breathe. The result feels intimate yet cinematic: like a moment frozen in time, where silence carries as much weight as sound. “Orphan’s Lament” would fit seamlessly into the emotional fabric of docu-drama or biographical films such as The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind or Lion, both of which explore resilience and identity through the lens of orphanhood. The song’s plaintive tone and stripped-down aesthetic would enhance any scene that grapples with memory, loss, and belonging. In the indie music scene, Steel & Velvet continue to carve a distinct space for themselves. Formed in 2021 by Breton musicians Johann Le Roux and Romuald Ballet-Baz, later joined by Jean-Alain Larreur; the trio draws on classical training and blues-rock roots to craft their minimalist sound. Their rendition of “Orphan’s Lament” doesn’t just cover Basho’s masterpiece; it reawakens it with sincerity, depth, and timeless craftsmanship.
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