by Louis Pelingen (@lammbi.555)
The musical landscape that connects shoegaze, dream-pop, and slowcore has branched out across the 2020s. From the Copenhagen scene to contemporary acts like Julie and Teethe, these genres have continued to take on a new swing with what these musicians bring to the table. It becomes a curiosity for veteran musicians who have touched upon the genres beforehand, wherein it’s an open question of what they will bring as the soundscapes have shifted more and more.
This open question is relevant when talking about Helen - the band consisting of vocalist/guitarist Liz Harris, bassist Scott Simmons, and drummer Jed Bindeman - who put out their debut album back in 2015, The Original Faces. That record was a sifting tapestry of noisy, dreamy soundscapes that fades like a memory that would be lost in time, capturing enough echoing familiarity that comes with Harris’ work as Grouper, but infused with jangling rock compositions that give a distinctive touch. At first, this seems like it might have been a one-time detour, but eleven years after its release, the trio has once again reunited to cultivate the overall spirit of their sophomore album, Linda’s Head. A delightful surprise, their comeback encapsulates a feeling of reconnecting with friends from the past and seeing where they have ended up.
While the sonic blueprint of Helen sifts through the familiar textural and melodic pop that is heard on their debut or even parts of Harris’ solo work that emphasizes ethereal atmosphere, the band manages enough melodic swerves that are worth noting in the mix. The punchy drive of “Starline” gives a strong foundation for Harris’ multi-tracked voice to glide through, which is then followed up by “endless Sky,” doubling down on faster rhythms that allow the bass and drums to play around. This structural set-up is also applicable to “Dead shark” and “Dead shark II,” letting the rustic acoustics loosely riff on the former song before it transitions to the quicker grooves of the latter.
The brief yet tuneful tracks maintain the momentum as they build to the longer, slowcore flourishes of “darkblue” and “Canyon”. The initial song sounds like a wave that crashes down to the ground, an atmosphere nicely built with its noisy guitars and drums that contrast with the reverberating cool-downs. The latter features Harris singing for the first two minutes, just before the droning synths, nimble bass, and tempered percussion notes linger for the rest of the song. The atmosphere creates that lilting sense of belonging and yearning that the songwriting shares. Helen are willing to take hold of comfort within the skies and the sea, spaces where love can be found and could cure one’s lonely spirit even despite the impossibility of reaching the deepest parts of those landscapes. The hushed groove of “Stay with me” centers such musings perfectly, “I look for you everyday / lately I feel you around / wanted to follow you in to the sea / call of the blue sky was swallowing me.”
Overall, Linda’s Head follows through the band’s dreamy terrains a decade later, and fulfills more than usual. It updates their sonic groundwork, keeping things interesting by structuring the momentum of these songs and giving emphasis to rhythmic energy and textural variance. The songwriting’s vast spaces and personal yearning speak volumes. After all, if the mind is capable of making up thoughts, then the heart will feel the emotions bleeding through.