Whispers in the Clearing: The Quiet Cinematic World of Steel & Velvet’s People Just Float

People Just Float, the new six-track EP accompanied by a short film from the Breton trio Steel & Velvet, stands firmly in the realm of quiet, deliberate artistry. It is a project defined by intimacy, restraint, and attentiveness to space — music that allows silence to speak alongside sound. The opening track, Orphan’s Lament, sets this tone immediately, drawing the listener into a world shaped by reflection and emotional depth, where minimal arrangements carry significant weight and every note is placed with care. Steel & Velvet — composed of Johann Le Roux (vocals), Romuald Ballet-Baz (guitar), and Jean-Alain Larreur (guitar) — continue to refine their signature approach to folk-rock minimalism. Their style is shaped equally by classical technique and raw, blues-inflected expression.

It aligns with the spirit of Johnny Cash’s American Recordings, emphasizing acoustic instrumentation, close vocal presence, and performances captured in their most natural, human state rather than polished to perfection. The result is music that sounds lived-in, unguarded, and sincere. The EP functions as both a standalone musical work and the sonic counterpart to a short film by longtime visual collaborator Loïc Moyou. The narrative centers on Joshua, a solitary figure living in the wilderness, who encounters a frightened woman deep in the forest. The film’s atmosphere recalls the quiet tension of folk mythology, where landscapes hold secrets and the possibility of redemption is uncertain but present.

The six tracks draw from works by Robbie Basho, Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, Pixies, Nirvana, Peter Ivers, and David Lynch. These selections span decades and genres, yet Steel & Velvet reinterpret them through their own aesthetic: subdued vocals, delicate fingerstyle guitar, and subtle shades of blues-rock tone. Romuald Ballet-Baz’s adaptation of Orphan’s Lament is a focal point, while the addition of Johann’s daughter Jade on two songs introduces a gentle, luminous counterbalance. The closing track, In Heaven, provides a final moment of contemplation, resolving the emotional arc with quiet acceptance. Throughout the EP, silence itself becomes an instrument. Pauses echo like footsteps through a forest; breaths feel weighted with unspoken thought. People Just Float is less an escape than an invitation to listen more closely — to music, to narrative, to stillness itself. It demonstrates how powerful a story can be when it is allowed to unfold softly.