The Helio Sequence - Keep Your Eyes Ahead

i would normally post the cover art, but i think this picture is pretty unbeatable.

The Helio Sequence have always been a good band; well-received critically, top of the ranks in terms of Portland* (*Beaverton) bands. I've never really given them much thought or time though. Helio Sequence, here is your fair shake. Their new album "Keep Your Eyes Ahead", coming out January 29th on Sub Pop, is rather good. It sounds tighter, more focused, and, well, better than their last few releases. "Love and Distance" is quality, make no mistake, but I can only handle so much of that distinctive, cosmic-synth business. Sometimes, you just have to pick up a guitar and start singing like Hamilton Leithauser (best goddamn name in rock and roll) and Bob Dylan. Reverb is used copiously and effectively, and as such they sound vaguely similar to their equine label-mates. While that bubbling synth isn't gone, it has been faded into the background and a more diverse sound has emerged. Standout tracks include the opener "Lately" and the banger "Hallelujah", but most of the songs are good, which is generally indicative of a decent record. The last song, aptly titled "No Regrets", is a foot stomping last-call, which sounds like one's last breaths expelled into a harmonica, the sporadic wheezing accompanied by your best friends' drunken sing-along; all this seemingly guiding you safely to bed, or the grave.

oh, and shit, you can play that whole bad boy over at their myspace:
MYSPACE

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