Helioself

by

Papas Fritas

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I bonded very fast and hard with the intriguing blend of pop styles on this disc. They help re-define pop for the 90s without resorting to the grunge and punk tactics used by other "pop" groups. Vaguely like a cross between the B-52s, Talking Heads, a normally aspirated Human League, and early Pink Floyd with a nautical fixation, these guys are doing some things I've not heard elsewhere these days. Their songwriting and playing have definitely improved over their previous album (though I love the song "Kids Don't Mind" on the eponymous first one). "Small Rooms" is about as catchy a pop song as you can imagine, and the song "Live By The Water" has a warm fuzzy feeling like a cross between CSNY's "Our House" and Poi Dog Pondering's "Spending The Day In The Shirt You Wore." Not only are their melody lines and rhythms infectious, but their lyrics are really quite intriguing as well - they paint some very vivid pictures in surprisingly few words. The story behind "Captain Of The City" is captivating, and "Words To Sing" is remarkably anthemic. They are clearly not all equally skilled as musicians, but that hardly matters. Shivika Asthana may not be Neil Peart on drums, but she needn't be. She's more like Ringo: her technique isn't perfect, but her style is. What she plays she plays honestly, and it ends up being more perfect for the song than any number of rapid-fire, syncopated fills could ever hope to be. Another interesting element of their vibe is the perceived unity of the group: all three of them sing and play with equal pertinence and presence, and many of their songs are sung and written seemingly from a group perspective, giving a feel of a very tight family. This is a very important factor in the presence of this album for me. Produced and recorded entirely by the band in their own studio, this album , to me, represents the pinnacle of what an amazingly creative DIY band can do. I can only hope to achieve this level of craftsnship in my own songs and production.